Subcontractor arrested for not reporting accident that led to motorcyclist’s death

Delhi Police on Saturday arrested a subcontractor in connection with the death of 25-year-old motorcyclist Kamal Dhyani for allegedly not reporting the incident or taking any action despite being aware of it.

Dhyani was returning home late on Thursday night from his workplace in Rohini when he fell into a 14-foot-deep pit in Janakpuri and died. His body, along with his motorcycle, was found inside the pit – dug by the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) – the next morning when a passer-by alerted the police.

“We found eyewitness Vipin Singh from Rohini, who saw the incident that night and informed a guard. The guard, in turn, informed Yogesh, a labourer working at the site. Yogesh then called Rajesh Prajapati, the subcontractor, informing him about the incident, but neither of them informed the police or helped the deceased,” a senior Delhi Police official told The Hindu.

The officer said the call records showed that Mr. Yogesh contacted Mr. Prajapati. “Yogesh is currently absconding, and several teams have been formed to nab him,” he said. The police have recorded statements of officials overseeing the area and summoned workers involved in the project. They are also probing the role of the owner of the company and others involved in digging the pit.

The Opposition Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) alleged that the timely sharing of Dhyani’s exact location by the police could have saved his life and demanded the suspension of Delhi Police Commissioner Satish Golchha.

Official apathy

The party said the action was “necessary” as official apathy and a subsequent “cover-up” led to the death of Dhyani. “The Delhi police and the government tried their best to project that barricading was in place everywhere and that Kamal Dhyani himself jumped into the pit along with his motorcycle,” AAP Delhi president Saurabh Bharadwaj said.

“Our staff at Vikaspuri police station showed the family all MLC records and accident cases while staff at Janakpuri police station sought the deceased’s location and went out with the family to trace him,” the police said in response, rejecting the claim of delay.