Gopinatha Pillai, 77, a petitioner in the Gujarat encounter case that killed his son Javed Sheikh, Ishrat Jahan and two others in 2004, died in a road accident at Vayalar near Cherthala on National Highway 66, near here, on Friday. Pattanakkad police said the accident occurred on Wednesday when a lorry rammed into the rear end of the car in which Gopinathan and others were travelling at Vayalar junction near Cherthala here. He was admitted to a private hospital in Kochi where he breathed his last on Friday, police said.
"The Maruthi car in which Pillai was travelling applied sudden break and a lorry hit the car from behind. He suffered injuries and was shifted to a hospital in Kochi. He died on Friday morning," said Sub Inspector B Shajimon.

Gopinatha Pillai, 77, a petitioner in the Gujarat encounter case that killed his son Javed Sheikh, Ishrat Jahan and two others in 2004, died in a road accident at Vayalar near Cherthala on National Highway 66, near here, on Friday. Pattanakkad police said the accident occurred on Wednesday when a lorry rammed into the rear end of the car in which Gopinathan and others were travelling at Vayalar junction near Cherthala here. He was admitted to a private hospital in Kochi where he breathed his last on Friday, police said.
"The Maruthi car in which Pillai was travelling applied sudden break and a lorry hit the car from behind. He suffered injuries and was shifted to a hospital in Kochi. He died on Friday morning," said Sub Inspector B Shajimon.