Unmarked 20-foot-deep pit DJB negligence killed Delhi biker says family's lawyer

     New Delhi, Feb 7 (PTI) A 20-foot-deep pit without proper barricading led to Kamal Dhyani’s death, his family's lawyer said on Saturday, alleging "complete carelessness" by the Delhi Jal Board and delays by police in collecting crucial evidence, including CCTV footage.
     There were no warning signs, reflectors or lighting at the site, said Advocate Astha Chaturvedi, who is representing the victim's family.
     "The pit was not covered properly, nor was any barricading placed around it to warn commuters," Chaturvedi said, adding that potholes were present across the Janakpuri area.
     "The Delhi Jal Board showed complete carelessness," she said.
     Kamal Dhyani, a resident of Kailashpuri, 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 after a passerby alerted the police.
     The lawyer added that an FIR has been registered against the DJB and the contractor concerned, citing negligence due to the absence of barricades and lighting.
     However, she claimed the family has not been informed about any suspension of officials so far.
     The Delhi government on Friday 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.
     On Saturday, the Delhi Police arrested sub-contractor Rajesh Kumar Prajapati (47) in connection with Kamal Dhyani's death. A probe revealed that he was allegedly alerted about the accident hours before police received information about it, but he failed to take any action, officials said.
     Advocate Chaturvedi also raised concerns over the pace of the investigation, alleging that CCTV footage from the area has not been provided even after more than 24 hours since the incident.
     "If recordings are not shared, how will we know how the accident occurred," she 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.
     An eyewitness, Vipin Singh, saw that a motorcycle had fallen into the ditch and informed a security guard at a nearby garage, the police said.
     "The guard then alerted a labourer, Yogesh, who looked into the ditch and noticed that the motorcycle's headlight was on and a human figure was visible inside," the officer said.
     Call detail records showed that Yogesh informed Prajapati about the incident at around 12:22 am, following which the subcontractor 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 said the family is seeking swift justice and strict punishment for those responsible. "No one can compensate for my loss. I only want my parents to get support and my brother to get justice quickly."
     A resident of Janakpuri, Jaspreet Singh, alleged that safety measures were put in place only after the fatal accident.
     "This is not a one-day issue. After the boy died, they suddenly remembered to put up barricades. There were no signs or barricading earlier," Singh said.
     He claimed that construction debris and open pits have been lying on the main road towards Paschim Vihar for nearly four months, causing frequent traffic congestion and inconvenience to commuters and traffic personnel.
     "Debris was dumped only yesterday after the incident. Anyone can see that all safety arrangements were made later in a hurry," he said.
     He further claimed that there were no warning boards, reflectors or barricades at the time the pit was dug.
     "Whatever has been installed now was done after the incident," Singh said, adding that residents, including school-going children, have been forced to take longer routes due to blocked access roads.
    

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)