Auto driver’s body found floating in pit, probe on

Police suspect that the man drowned on Thursday night while trying to drive through the spot, unaware of the pit

The body of a 51-year-old auto-rickshaw driver was found floating in a rainwater-filled pit while his vehicle was partially stuck at a spot near an under-construction flyover in northeast Delhi’s Harsh Vihar, police said on Friday.

The incident took place near an under-construction flyover in Harsh Vihar, where there was a ‘very deep pit’, police said. (HT PHOTO)

While the time of the death and the circumstances leading to it were not clear, the spot where the accident took place had a “very deep pit” dug up to bear pillars for the flyover, police said. There are also no CCTV cameras near the spot, they added.

Officers suspect that the deceased, Ajit Sharma, drowned in the intervening night of Thursday and Friday while trying to drive through the spot, unaware about the pit. There were no passengers at the time of the accident, police said.

Sharma’s body was discovered late on Friday afternoon by a passerby, said Joy Tirkey, deputy commissioner of police (north-east).

A first information report (FIR) was yet to registered in the case as police were awaiting the postmortem examination report, the DCP said.

According to the Sharma’s family, who live at Nand Nagri in northeast Delhi, he left for work on Thursday night. He last contacted them at some time on Thursday night, the DCP said, adding that the accident, which took place near the service road along the Main Wazirabad Road, could have occurred any time after that.

Police said the Public Works Department was carrying out the construction of the flyover.

“The ditch was dug up to bear pillars for the under-construction flyover. So, while it was a very deep pit, it remained filled with rain water because of which we couldn’t determine its exact depth,” said Tirkey.

The officer said that it seemed that Sharma drove over the ditch without realising that it was deep, and accidentally tumbled out of the auto-rickshaw, which itself did not overturn. “Only the front tyre of the auto-rickshaw was stuck in the water-filled ditch. The rest of the vehicle was out,” said the officer, adding that prima facie there were no passengers in the auto at the time of the accident. “We haven’t found anyone else injured around,” he added.

It was not clear how no one noticed the stuck auto-rickshaw till late Friday afternoon.

The DCP said that there were external injury marks found on Sharma’s body. “We have sent his body to GTB Hospital for autopsy and further investigation is in process,” said the DCP.

Meanwhile, PWD said that they have also initiated a probe into the matter.

“We have come to know about the incident and are looking into the matter. We have asked officials to take action,” said a PWD official, asking not to be named.