Dwarka accident: Roads that cut lives short

The cramped bedroom where 23-year-old Sahil Dhaneshra spent his time is witness to the ambitions he once nurtured. One poster on the wall reads: ‘They want to fly first class, I want to own the plane’. On the ceiling, above the bed where he slept, a hand-painted note declares: ‘2025 will be my $1,000,000 year!’

Across the room, his study table — now lined with framed photographs of his smiling face — showcases trophies and medals he earned over the years.

On February 3, at about 11.40 a.m., Dhaneshra was killed in a road accident after his motorcycle collided with an SUV driven by a minor. The driver and his sister were in the vehicle. The accident took place just 400 metres away from their home in Dwarka’s Sector 11.

Also Read | Dwarka road accident: Lawyer says accused minor ‘too stressed’ for Class 10 board exams

Videos that later went viral show the SUV speeding down an undivided road with cars parked on both sides. The SUV was in the middle of the road when Dhaneshra’s motorcycle approached from the opposite direction, attempting to overtake a bus ahead of him, and allegedly entered briefly into the lane of oncoming traffic.

After the impact, Dhaneshra’s motorcycle was mangled. After striking the bike, the SUV rammed into a taxi parked along the road. The rear of the taxi and the front of the SUV were completely crushed, and the bus was also damaged.

The taxi driver, Ajit Singh, was immediately taken to the nearest hospital by passers-by. The police took Dhaneshra to Indira Gandhi Hospital, where he was declared brought dead.

The incident came to wider attention nearly a week later, when Inna Makan, Dhaneshra’s mother, recorded a video and posted it on social media. It shows the victim’s mother crying inconsolably, pleading for justice for her son’s death. She was reacting to reports that the minor accused had been granted interim bail by the Juvenile Justice Board to appear for his Class 10 board examinations.

The next day, Makan’s compact 3-bedroom apartment in an ageing building in Bagdola village, Sector 8, Dwarka, was flooded with visitors. Makan sat in her son’s room. Sitting on his bed, surrounded by his photographs, she broke down repeatedly as she spoke to reporters.

Photo frames, musical instruments, hand-painted notes grace the room where 23-year-old Sahil Dhaneshra lived with his family in Dwarkas Bagdola village.
| Photo Credit:
Shrimansi Kaushik

According to Delhi Traffic Police data, around 1,617 people lost their lives in road accidents in 2025, up from 1,551 in the previous year. From January 1 to February 15, 2026, at least 197 people had been killed in crashes. Of the 197, 12 were minors, and 66 were pedestrians.

Traffic police cite a combination of factors for road accidents. “We have 4,675 staff across ranks, from constable to the posts of Special Commissioner of Police. The sanctioned strength is 6,182, showing a shortage of about 1,507,” says Kime Kaming, Joint Commissioner of Police, Traffic (Operations).

He says there is one police person for every 30,000 people. However, Kaming says it is more about the culture of not following rules in Delhi. “Sometimes Violations on Camera (VOCA) notices come out to be in lakhs on a single day when we consider parking violations also,” he says, adding that pedestrian indiscipline, the lack of urban planning, and other factors lead to accidents.

A life cut short

A single parent, Makan says she had struggled immensely to raise her son. Separated from her husband, she had been living in Dwarka for over 12 years. In June 2018, Dhaneshra’s father passed away due to a brain tumour. According to her, he had largely been absent from their lives, forcing Dhaneshra to develop a sense of independence.

“From a young age, he started earning his own money. He would help me with my real estate business. On the day of the accident, he had left home to appear for an interview for a new job,” Makan says.

Dhaneshra had also secured admission to an M.Sc. course in Luxury Fashion Management at Manchester Metropolitan University and was planning to leave for the U.K. later this year. “He was a multi-talented person,” says Manas Sachdeva, a close friend. “We’ve known each other for eight years because of our shared interest in photography. I have always seen him smiling and dreaming big — especially for his mother,” he adds.

Makan is bereft: “I might shut down my real estate business now,” she says.

Public apologies

As Makan’s pleas became public, the minor’s father made public apologies repeatedly. “I cannot imagine the grief of the woman who lost her son,” he said to the media, adding that his family is deeply disturbed by the incident.

The police registered an FIR under sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for rash driving and death by negligent acts, as well as held the father, the owner of the SUV, under Section 199A of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, which holds the guardian liable for an offence committed by a minor.

As news of the incident spread, the minor’s father said he began receiving abuse from the public. “Unknown people have been calling me and sending messages filled with expletives. They have practically made our lives unbearable. I am ready to accept whatever decision the legal system takes, including serving jail time if that is what the law decides,” he says.

He repeatedly told the mediapersons that he would cooperate with the authorities. “I cannot imagine what the mother must be going through, but as a parent, I understand what the loss of a child means,” he says.

While the incident has drawn significant attention, road safety concerns surrounding the crash also need scrutiny, says Sarika Panda Bhatt, co-founder of the Raahgiri Foundation, a non-profit organisation.

“A young life could possibly have been saved had he been wearing a helmet. The accident occurred on an undivided road with cars parked along both sides, leaving very little room for moving traffic. The car appeared to be speeding in a residential area with a college nearby. The videos also show that the victim slightly changed lanes while attempting to overtake a bus ahead of him,” she says, adding that India lacks robust crash investigation systems, which could help determine what might have prevented such an accident.

The road ahead

“Just yesterday, I witnessed an accident involving a biker and an auto driver. Instead of helping the injured, people had formed a crowd around them and were making videos on their phones. I got out of my car and took the injured to the hospital, but until then, the golden hour had already passed,” says S.K. Singh, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Traffic-II (HQ). He refers to the first hour after the accident, during which the injured must be transported to the hospital, which can be done only if the necessary services reach the victim within the first 10 minutes of the accident.

“Despite several awareness campaigns, the greatest challenge we witness is to make citizens comply by traffic rules. Many lives can be saved if only riders wear helmets, put on safety belts, avoid wrong side driving and signal jumping,” he adds.

Every year, the number of challans issued by the Delhi Traffic Police increases significantly. In 2024, about 23 lakh challans were issued. This increased to 38 lakh in 2025. About 51 lakh notices were issued to violators each year after violations were captured by cameras.

A motorist driving wrong side on the road in New Delhi on Saturday.
| Photo Credit:
SUSHIL KUMAR VERMA

The DCP added that people are habitual of driving in the wrong side, for which the traffic police have started filing FIRs. “Lack of proper signages is another reason. Thirdly, stopping in the middle of the road in high-footfall areas like Kashmere Gate, Mukarba Chowk, and Peeragarhi puts their lives as well as of other commuters at risk,” he said.

He says road engineering and urban planning — including traffic flow, entry and exit points, and connecting roads — play a crucial role in preventing accidents. “In areas near AIIMS and Safdarjung, where roads are perpetually congested, multi-level housing projects are being planned. Where will the additional traffic go? At Kalindi Kunj, a six-lane carriageway merges into a two-lane road, creating a severe bottleneck. Are these long-term solutions?” he says.

The Delhi traffic police has about 125 cameras to record speeding across Delhi, with a plan to put another 125 in place over the next month. Around 209 Red Light Violation cameras are in place and 203 more are expected to be installed in the coming months.

Another traffic officer, requesting anonymity, says unplanned road digging without proper barricading or signage, as well as poor road maintenance, including unfilled potholes, are major contributors to accidents. “Alternatives exist to avoid repeated excavation for sewage, water, or gas pipelines. Service tunnels or accessible utility corridors can be built alongside existing infrastructure rather than burying everything underground. This makes repairs and maintenance easier and safer,” he says.

V. Umashankar, Secretary at the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, says a 6% decline in fatal crashes had been recorded on National Highways due to improved understanding of accident patterns and causes.

“Up to ₹3,000 crore has been earmarked under the Special Assistance to States for Capital Investment (SASCI) scheme to encourage states to take measures to reduce road accidents. This forms part of a broader set of interventions. There is also greater emphasis on swift enforcement, including the use of Advanced Traffic Management Systems that automatically detect violations, such as lane indiscipline, and generate challans,” the Secretary says.

Under the current legal framework in India, the maximum punishment for causing death by rash or negligent driving depends on whether the driver stays to report the incident or flees the scene. If the driver stays, the punishment includes up to five years of imprisonment alongside a fine. It is a bailable offence.