Court seeks probe report, CCTV status in DJB pit death case in Janakpuri

Dwarka court asks Delhi Police for investigation update by Feb 13 and details on nearby CCTV functioning after 25-year-old fell into uncovered DJB sewer pit.

A Delhi court on Tuesday directed the Delhi Police to file a status report of the investigation carried out so far in the death of a 25-year-old man died after falling into a deep, uncovered excavation pit dug for sewer repair work by the Delhi Jal Board (DJB).

Interim protection till Feb 18 for company directors hired by DJB, subject to cooperation. Sub-contractor, labourer arrested; two others absconding in pit death case. (Sanchit Khanna/HT)

The court in its order also sought the working status of the CCTVs located in the area.

The order said, “IO/SHO is directed to file a status report of the investigation done in the present matter along with position and working condition of the CCTV cameras nearby the spot in question, covering the alleged incident”.

The court set the next date of hearing in the application for February 13.

The order was passed by additional sessions judge Harjot Singh Aujla of Dwarka courts on an application moved by the counsels of the victim, Kamal Dhyani. The application was filed through advocates Aastha Chaturvedi and Saloni Gupta, seeking a status report of the investigation along with a court-monitored probe.

In the same case, a Delhi court has provided interim protection to the accused, Himanshu Gupta and his brother Kavish Gupta, the directors of a private company hired by the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) to dig the sewer pit at the site of the incident.

Directing the Delhi Police to not take any coercive action against the two till February 18, the next date of hearing, the court made the protection conditional on their cooperation with the investigation.

The Delhi Police had lodged a case at Janakpuri police station in connection with the death of Kamal Dhyani, a telecaller working with a private bank in Rohini. Dhyani died after falling into an open excavation pit allegedly left unsecured by the contractor engaged by DJB.

Police allege that a total of six persons, including the director brothers, were informed about the incident but failed to inform the authorities.

The sub-contractor of the construction work, Rajesh Kumar Prajapati and labourer Yogesh have been arrested and are currently in judicial custody while a security guard identified as Deshraj and another passerby who was aware about the incident and did not inform the police, are currently at large.