Delhi biker dies after falling into uncovered pit in Janakpuri, govt orders probe

The case comes weeks after a 27-year-old techie, Yuvraj Mehta, died in Noida’s Sector 150 after his car fell into a waterlogged pit near a construction site

A 25-year-old man, employed with a private bank, died after allegedly falling into a pit dug up by Delhi Jal Board (DJB) on Joginder Singh Marg in west Delhi’s Janakpuri while he was riding his motorcycle late Thursday night, police said on Friday.

Delhi biker falls into pit, dies (Vipin Kumar/HT)

The deceased person’s body and his motorcycle were found in the 20-foot-deep pit, the police said, adding that a case under the relevant sections of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023 has been registered.

Joint commissioner of police (western range) Jatin Narwal said that at 8:03am, the police control room received a call regarding a man and a motorcycle found in a pit dug up on the Joginder Singh Marg in Janakpuri. The fire department was also called.

Both the man and his bike were taken out of the pit by around 8:30am. The man was taken to a nearby hospital, where he was declared dead.

The deceased was identified as Kamal Dhayani, a resident of Vikaspuri in west Delhi. He worked in a private bank in Rohini, the joint CP said.

According to police, around 12:30am on Friday, the family members of Dhayani had approached the Vikaspuri police station for assistance as he had not returned home nor was he responding to calls after 11:30pm, when he had last spoken with them. The family members told the police that he was returning home on his motorcycle. The family then reached out to the Janakpuri police station.

“The Janakpuri police obtained Dhyani’s mobile phone location and it was showing near the Janakpuri district centre. Head constable Ramkesh searched for Dhayani along with his brother till early morning. However, he could not be found. Dhayani’s body was found in the pit later in the morning,” added Narwal.

Meanwhile, the Delhi government has initiated an investigation into the incident.

“I am deeply hurt by the tragic death of a young man who fell into a pit during the ongoing work of the Jal Board on Joginder Singh Marg. I was at the scene and have met with the family members of the deceased. Chief Minister @rekhagupta ji and the entire government stand with this family in this hour of grief. Instructions for investigation of the incident have been issued, and the guilty will be given strict punishment”, Delhi’s home, education, power and urban development minister Ashish Sood posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, in Hindi.

Political reactions

AAP leader and former MLA Saurabh Bharadwaj criticised the Delhi government in a post on X, alleging negligence and linking the death to earlier similar incidents involving open construction pits.

"This tragedy was waiting to happen. Inspite of complaints, this death trap was not properly barricaded to prevent loss of lives. Imagine the family and small kids of this man who must have been waiting all night for him, anxious for him to return home. And they will wait for their lives now," the AAP leader wrote on X.

The case comes weeks after a 27-year-old software engineer, Yuvraj Mehta, died in Noida’s Sector 150 after his car fell into a waterlogged pit near a construction site on the intervening night of January 16 and 17.