Authorities did not help in our search: Family of 25-yr-old who fell in Janakpuri pit

25-year-old Kamal Dhyani died after his motorcycle fell into a deep excavation pit. His family criticized police negligence during their search for him.

The family of 25-year-old Kamal Dhyani said he was around 15 minutes from their west Delhi residence in Palam Colony’s Kailashpuri but they only learnt of his death after hours of desperate search and an entire night of worrying about him. They blamed the administration for negligence and alleged that they got little help from authorities while looking for Kamal.

The pit where the man allegedly fell to death. (Sanjeev Verma/HT Photo)

Kamal was killed late Wednesday night after his motorcycle plunged into a 20-foot-deep open excavation pit in Janakpuri.

He had spoken to his twin brother, Karan, over the phone at 11:53 pm and said he was near the Janakpuri district centre. Nearly 40 minutes later, when Kamal hadn’t reached home by 12:40 am and was not answering his phone, family members launched a frantic search, worried because he had met with two road accidents in the past. They also wondered if his phone had been snatched by someone.

In the following nearly six hours, family members and friends said they visited at least six police stations, pleading for help to find Dhyani but did not get it.

“We visited Rohini, Sagarpur, Dabri, Palam Village, Janakpuri, and Vikaspuri police stations, requesting to register my brother’s missing case and make efforts to find him. But the personnel refused saying the case will be registered only after 24 hours,” said Karan.

Around 1 am, Karan said, his friend and he reached the district centre where a policeman asked us to visit the Vikaspuri police station. “The personnel at Vikaspuri police station took my name and phone number and told us that they will inform us if they found my brother. Thereafter, I went to my brother’s office in Rohini, where they told me he had already left.”

At the Janakpuri police station, police personnel refused to register a missing case until 24 hours had passed and asked them to visit around 11 am on Friday.

A friend, who did not wish to be identified, said, that when they pushed, two policement helped them by sharing the location of Kamal’s phone. It appeared to be in a 200 metre radius between Possangipur village park and District park.

“But before we could open it, they deleted the location saying they can’t officially share it. We searched the area and multiple pits but did not find him,” said the friend, adding, “In the morning, a policeman informed us that Kamal was lying dead in a pit.”

In response, Delhi Police said Karan and friends visited the Vikaspuri and Janakpuri police stations, where the police heard their missing complaint and even sent three personnel with them to search for Kamal in the areas around Janakpuri district park and Possangipur village park.

Deputy commissioner of police (DCP - west) Sharad Bhaskar Bhaskar said that the Karan and his friends reached Vikaspuri police station at 1:35 am. There they were shown all medico-legal certificates and accident calls received on Thursday and told that no information about Kamal or his motorcycle had been received.

“At 2:50 am, they reported Dhyani’s disappearance at the Janakpuri police station. Sub-inspector Awant promptly took the missing person’s mobile location which was showing near Possangipur Park. Head constable Ramkesh, constable Tejpal, and a home guard jawan Vikas, along with family members, carried out a search in the park as per location and nearby parking spaces and the colony. But despite continuous search for hours together neither Kamal nor his vehicle was located,” added Bhaskar.

On the allegations that they had gone to four other stations, a senior police officer, who asked not to be named, said, “We checked the CCTV cameras of Dabri and Sagarpur police stations. Nobody from Kamal’s family came by the entire night. We are verifying their claims from the other police stations mentioned by them before media persons.”

Kamal lived with his father Naresh Chand Dhyani, a priest; his mother, a homemaker; Karan, an accountant; andhis elder brother Mayank, 27, who assisted their father. All three brothers are unmarried.

The victim’s father, Naresh Chand, blamed the Delhi administration and the Delhi Jal Board for negligence that claimed his son’s life. “It is the Delhi Jal Board’s and the administration’s mistake. Until a few days ago, there was no pit at the spot.”