Delhi finance ministry official death: ‘Navjot was a passionate biker, a humble man’

Navjot represented India at a United Nations Organization event in New York in May and went to Spain with Union minister Nirmala Sitharaman in June for a conference

NEW DELHI

Navjot Singh, with his wife Sandeep Kaur, who also sustained severe injuries in the accident. (HT)

Friends and family members of finance ministry official Navjot Singh, who died after his bike was rammed by a speeding BMW on Ring Road on Sunday, remembered him as a passionate biker, a dedicated and bright government official, and a humble human being.

Navjot’s father, Balwant Singh, 85, a retired flying officer in the Indian Air Force, said that his son had cleared the Central Secretariat Services in 1998, and was duly posted in the ministry of finance. “It’s a loss to the nation. He was an asset to the Government of India. He mostly worked in the North and South Block. He started with the ministry of finance and moved on to work at the ministry of defence for 10 years before being transferred back to the finance ministry three years ago,” the father said.

The family said that he was due for a promotion in the next six months and had undergone a 10-day mandatory training recently. “He was to be promoted to the position of director in the next six months. He spent six days of training here in Delhi and went to Shillong for field training for four days,” the father said.

Navjot represented India at a United Nations Organization event in New York in May and went to Spain with Union minister Nirmala Sitharaman in June for a conference. “He was allotted government accommodation but we never moved because we have always lived here,” the father said.

Navjot’s son Navnoor Singh, 21, an engineer by profession, recalled celebrating his birthday with his friends two days in advance—on Saturday night—and going home on Sunday afternoon, when he got the call about his parents’ accident around 1.30pm.

He said that his birthday is on Tuesday, when his father’s last rites will be performed. “My father was a great man. He used to travel the world for his work and was very proud of what he did,” he said.

Navnoor, who had started working at a Gurugram-based company a month ago, said he had planned to gift his father a watch on his birthday. “It was my birthday but I had planned to give him a watch. He was very fond of watches,” Navnoor said.

Navjot’s neighbours said that he was a passionate biker and a very humble man.

Diljeet Kalsi, a 65-year-old neighbour, said that Navjot had a Bullet bike and bought a new Triumph about a year ago. “I have seen him grow up. He used to also go on weekend bike trips in the morning and used to wear his protective gear also. He was a very safe driver,” he said.

Another neighbour, who did not wish to be identified, said, “Navjot was so humble. We knew that he was in the ministry of finance but he had no air about it,” he said.

Singh and his wife, Sandeep Kaur, residents of west Delhi’s Hari Nagar, were on their bike when the accident took place. The accused was arrested on Monday.