Caregiver dies after electrocution at east Delhi road divider; family alleges murder

Police are investigating how Sandeep ended up in the pit and whether he was alone at the time. They suspect he may have been crossing the central verge when the ground beneath him collapsed, trapping him

A 28-year-old private home caregiver died after he allegedly fell into a pit on a road divider and was electrocuted by a street light pole in east Delhi’s Surajmal Vihar near Anand Vihar on Wednesday night, police said on Friday. His family, however, has alleged murder, claiming the scene may have been staged to make his death appear accidental.

The spot on the central verge in Surajmal Vihar in east Delhi, where the man allegedly suffered the electric shock. (HT Photo)

The victim, identified only as Sandeep, was returning home to Bihari Colony near Shahdara after finishing work at his client’s residence in Surajmal Vihar when the incident allegedly occurred. His body was found the next morning on the central verge of Master Somnath Marg, with his lower body trapped in the pit up to his waist, while his face and hands were on the concrete base of the street light and his head was touching the metal pole.

Police are investigating how Sandeep ended up in the pit and whether he was alone at the time. They suspect he may have been crossing the central verge when the ground beneath him collapsed, trapping him.

No FIR had been registered until late Friday evening. Police said they were awaiting the autopsy and forensic examination reports to establish the circumstances of his death and were also probing whether the recent rain had contributed to the collapse.

Sandeep’s family has filed a complaint seeking registration of a murder case. They suspect he may have been killed elsewhere and that the scene was allegedly staged to make it appear that he died of electrocution.

Deputy commissioner of police (Shahdara) Rajendra Prasad Meena said Sandeep lived with relatives in Bihar Colony and worked as a nursing caregiver in Surajmal Vihar. “On Wednesday, Sandeep finished his job around 8 pm at Surajmal Vihar and left for home. He was electrocuted on an electric street light pole on the divider of Master Somnath Marg. The autopsy surgeon opined the cause of death as electrocution. An investigation has been launched,” he said.

A police officer, who asked not to be named, said Sandeep’s movement towards Anand Vihar after leaving work was corroborated by his mobile phone location and CCTV footage. However, there were no cameras near the divider where his body was found.

“We are also probing if Sandeep was with someone after he left his client’s residence. It’s not clear when and how he fell into the pit on the central verge,” the officer said. A passerby spotted his body around 7am on Thursday.

Sandeep’s sister-in-law Indu said he had been caring for an elderly patient in Surajmal Vihar for about one-and-a-half months. She said he usually returned home around 9pm.

When he did not return by 9.30pm on Wednesday, his uncle, Sunder Lal, called him. Someone else answered and asked him to call back after 10 minutes, she said. The phone subsequently became unreachable.

“On Thursday around 7.30am, a policeman contacted us and asked us to reach Hedgewar hospital to identify Sandeep’s body. We went there and identified him. But the police are not telling us how exactly he died. They are reluctant to register a case despite stating Sandeep was electrocuted by the electric pole. The civic agencies should be held responsible,” Indu said.

PWD, which maintains the streetlight, did not respond to queries on the incident.