On 12 September, a 23-year-old woman from Chennai was killed on the streets of the city by an illegal hoarding that turned into a death trap. The installation of the flex board, outlawed multiple times by the Madras High Court, was undertaken illegally for an AIADMK leader’s family function.
The flimsy board fell on Subhasri as she was riding a two-wheeler. The young woman lost control of her vehicle upon being struck by the banner, and a tanker lorry then collided with her, killing her. Subhasri’s death shook the conscience of the state and prompted anger from various quarters, finally forcing authorities to take long-pending action and forcing the courts to reiterate the law.