Nelamangala Car Accident: 'Number 6', What Is The Link Between The Highway Accident And The Number Plate?

On a tragic note, Chandram Yegappagol, an accomplished entrepreneur and owner of IAST Software Solutions Company, along with his family, met with an untimely death on the Tumkur-Bengaluru highway near Nelamangala. This calamitous event occurred last Saturday when a container lorry toppling over crushed their luxurious Volvo, claiming their lives instantly. The accident, which resulted in the loss of six lives, cast a shadow of mourning across Karnataka, especially since Chandram had recently celebrated purchasing this car worth 1 crore with his daughter two months prior. This celebration turned to tragedy as they were on their way to spend the Christmas vacation in their hometown Vijayapura, a journey that fate cruelly cut short.

This devastating incident has reignited a peculiar superstition among the locals of Nelamangala. They believe in the ominous nature of the number '6', attributing it to a series of accidents on the Tumkur-Bengaluru highway. The root of this fear lies in the observation that the last digit of the number plates of both the ill-fated Volvo and the container lorry was '6'. These vehicles, identified by their number plates as KA 02 ND 1536 for the Volvo and KA 52 B 3076 for the lorry, have become the center of this superstition. This belief has been further solidified with the recent accident, contributing to the narrative that vehicles with number plates ending in '6' are particularly prone to mishaps on this stretch of the highway.

The Nelamangala community's apprehension about the number '6' isn't unfounded, at least in their collective experience. Local lore, supported by a media report aired six years ago, suggests a pattern where vehicles bearing the last digit '6' in their number plates often meet with accidents on the national highway passing through Nelamangala. This pattern appears to hold true, as evidenced by the vehicles involved in accidents that are now kept at the Nelamangala Traffic Police Station. A review of these vehicles reveals a startling coincidence: the last digit of their number plates is predominantly '6'. Examples include numbers such as KA 51 Q 5156, KA 42 H 6326, and KA 44 J 5086, among others. This recurrence of the number '6' in accident-related incidents has cemented the belief among locals that this digit harbors an ominous significance.

This superstition has had tangible effects on the behavior of the residents in Nelamangala. Many, fearing the supposed curse associated with '6', have gone to the extent of selling their newly purchased vehicles should they unfortunately bear a number plate ending in this digit. The recent accident, which not only involved vehicles with number plates ending in '6' but also resulted in the death of six individuals, has intensified these fears and beliefs.

The loss of Chandram Yegappagol and his family in such a horrific manner has not only brought sorrow to the community but has also revived and perhaps strengthened the local superstition surrounding the number '6'. This incident serves as a grim reminder of the unpredictable nature of life and the various ways in which people try to make sense of the tragedies that befall them. While it's challenging to rationalize such superstitions with logic, they undeniably become a part of the community's fabric, influencing decisions and perceptions in profound ways.