A 28-year-old man was charred to death after his car went up in flames in west Delhi on Monday, police said. The police suspect that a leakage in his CNG car kit caused the fire.
The man, identified as Arun Malhotra, is a resident of east Punjabi Bagh.
“Malhotra was going to his
factory in Bahdurgarh from his Punjabi Bagh residence in his Honda City car when smoke started billowing from the engine around 7:15 pm in Mundka area,” said a senior police officer.
The incident took place near a Sai Baba temple constructed by Malhotra a few years ago.
“Before he could react after smelling the smoke, the engine caught fire and the car's central locking system got activated — trapping him inside,” the officer said.
The police said Malhotra probably died to asphyxiation as the car windows got locked.
“The car was still in motion even after catching fire and finally came to a stop after crashing into an adjacent divider.”
According to the police, two fire engines were rushed to the spot almost immediately.
“But by the time the fire was doused, the man had been charred,” the officer said.
Police said Malhotra was rushed to the adjacent Sanjay Gandhi Hospital in Monlgolpuri where he was declared brought dead and his post-mortem examination was conducted.
“The body has been handed over to his relatives. Since the car had a CNG kit, preliminary investigation suggests that a leakage led to the fire,” the officer added.