Sub-Contractor Knew Delhi Biker Fell Into Ditch, Did Nothing To Help: Cops

A sub-contractor has been arrested after a biker fell to his death in a pool-sized pit dug by the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) in Janakpuri, officials said Saturday. 

A probe revealed that the sub-contractor, Rajesh Prajapati, was allegedly alerted about the accident hours before police received information about it, but he failed to take any action, officials said.

Twenty five-year-old Kamal Dhyani, a resident of Kailashpuri and an employee of a private bank, was returning home late Thursday night from his workplace in Rohini when he fell into the deep pit and died. His body, along with his motorcycle, was found inside the ditch the next morning.

A family passing through the area the previous night had noticed that the victim had fallen into the pit. They immediately alerted a security guard deployed at the site. 

The security guard informed a junior staff member the same night, stating that a person had fallen into the pit, police said.

The junior staff member then called Prajapati at around 12.22 am and asked him to reach the spot. Prajapati subsequently arrived at the site and saw a motorcycle and the man inside the pit but he didn't inform anyone and went back home, officials said.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (West) Darade Sharad Bhaskar said Prajapati knew that someone had fallen into the pit, hours before the matter came to the police's notice.

Call detail records showed that Prajapati was informed about the incident at around 12:22 am, following which he reached the spot within 15-20 minutes, the police said.

However, Prajapati neither informed the police nor any emergency authority at that time. Information about the incident reached police only the next morning around 8 am, Bhaskar said.

Kamal's twin brother, Karan Dhyani, said the family had visited several police stations, including Dabri, Vikas Puri and Sagarpur, while searching for him during the night but received no assistance.

"It has been more than 24 hours since my brother's death, and the police are still saying they are looking for cameras," Karan said, alleging negligence on the part of the DJB.

He further claimed that there were no warning boards, reflectors or barricades at the time the pit was dug.

A 20-foot-deep pit without proper barricading led to Kamal Dhyani's death, the lawyer representing the victim's family said on Saturday, alleging "complete carelessness" by the Delhi Jal Board and delays by police in collecting crucial evidence, including CCTV footage.

"The pit was not covered properly, nor was any barricading placed around it to warn commuters," the victim's lawyer said, adding that potholes were present across the Janakpuri area.

"The Delhi Jal Board showed complete carelessness," the lawyer added. 

On Friday, the Delhi government suspended three Delhi Jal Board (DJB) officials -- an executive engineer, assistant engineer and junior engineer. 

The same day, an FIR was registered at Janakpuri police station under Section 105 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita against the contractor and concerned DJB officials.

from NDTV News- Special https://ift.tt/MykwaKz