NEW DELHI, Feb 6: A biker died after he fell into a pit in Delhi’s Janakpuri on Friday. According to sources, construction work linked to the Delhi Jal Board was underway at the site of the accident, and a ditch had been dug on the road in which the biker fell.
In photos that are viral on social media, the man’s body can be seen lying next to his bike at the bottom of the pit. The man was wearing a helmet, a riding jacket and gloves.
The victim, identified as 25-year-old Kamal, worked as an Assistant Manager at HDFC Bank’s Rohini branch. According to family members, Kamal was returning home late Wednesday night and had informed his twin brother Karan that he would reach home within 10 minutes. Soon after, his phone kept ringing, but there was no response.
The family of the victim has alleged that the man could not be reached after he informed them that he was in the Janakpuri district centre area. The family claimed that when they tried to reach him, his phone was reportedly switched off. Searching for him, the family claimed that they visited dozens of police stations.
The police reportedly shared the last known location details of the victim with the family, but the man could not be found. Hours later, the family was informed that his body had been found.
“In view of today’s incident in Janakpuri, a circular has been issued. The concerned District Magistrate, SDM Joint Commissioner of Police (Traffic), Deputy Commissioner of Police, senior officers from the Public Works Department (PWD), and other senior officials will jointly inspect the site tomorrow and issue necessary directions for appropriate action,” the Delhi government said in a statement.
Delhi Urban Development Minister Ashish Sood, who is the Janakpuri MLA, has ordered an investigation into the case. “Preliminary findings indicate that the road where work was underway had been closed using barricades and green mesh, and the pit at the accident site was also secured with green mesh. To examine the circumstances of the incident and assess compliance with prescribed public safety norms, a committee has been constituted, which will submit its report by this evening,” the Delhi Jal Board said in a statement.
Taking a swipe at the Delhi government, AAP leader and former MLA Saurabh Bharadwaj wrote on X, “Shocking !!! An innocent biker fell into a deep pothole on the road, got stuck, lay there all night, and died. The BJP government in Delhi has learned nothing from the Noida incident. They just keep lying every day. Janakpuri District Center, Delhi.” The incident comes days after the death of a 27-year-old software engineer named Yuvraj Mehta in Noida’s Sector 150 after his car fell into a waterlogged pit next to a construction site on January 16.
(Manas Dasgupta)