Delhi traffic cop hits 3 vehicles, runs over e-rickshaw driver

The incident has led to protests and demands for strict action against the officer.

A traffic police officer allegedly ran over a 35-year-old e-rickshaw driver, killing him on the spot, and rammed his car into three vehicles before taking refuge inside a police station in west Delhi’s Mayapuri, senior police officers aware of the matter said on Saturday.

The accused then allegedly hit another car while trying to flee. (Representational image)

Locals alleged that the cop was drunk, but deputy commissioner of police (west) Vichitra Veer did not confirm if the traffic cop was driving under the influence of alcohol.

The DCP said that the police control room (PCR) received a call around 8.30am on Saturday, reporting an accident in which a Maruti Swift car hit an e-rickshaw driver on the road from Mayapuri Metro station to Sagarpur. A team of the local police reached the spot and found the e-rickshaw driver, identified as Amit Jha, 35, wounded on the spot, DCP Veer said.

He added that the police team took Jha to Deen Dayal Upadhyay hospital where doctors declared him dead on arrival.

“A case was registered under section 279 (rash driving) and 337 (causing hurt) was immediately registered. However, the injured passed away, therefore, section 304A (causing death by negligence) was added,” the DCP said

He said the accused driver has been identified as Mukesh Kumar, who was posted with the Delhi Traffic Police, but did not share his rank. Kumar’s age was also not known immediately.

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Mukesh Gupta, 45, a friend of Jha who also runs an e-rickshaw, alleged that the traffic cop was driving rashly. “The traffic policeman was driving his car in a zig-zag manner. He first hit one e-rickshaw, moving just behind Jha’s vehicle, then hit Jha’s e-rickshaw. The e-rickshaw overturned and Jha was flung on the road side. The traffic cop then rammed his car in the road divider,” Gupta said.

According to Gupta, Jha may have been saved but while trying to flee the spot, the traffic cop reversed his car and ran over Jha. “The man crushed Jha. He was lying in a pool of blood” Gupta alleged.

The accused then allegedly hit another car while trying to flee, Gupta alleged. He added that a man in a Wagon R car tried to chase Kumar, but the cop ran inside Mayapuri police station after parked his car there. “The policeman was drunk. We all chased him, ” Gupta alleged.

When asked about Gupta’s allegations, DCP Veer said they were investigating the matter. When asked if Kumar was drunk, the DCP said, a medical examination of the accused has been conducted. He, however, did not confirm if the police detected alcohol in Kumar’s blood.

Also, the DCP said that they have taken “legal action” in the matter but did not specify if Kumar has been arrested or not.

Jha is survived by his wife and four children. His family members and e-rickshaw drivers staged a protest outside Mayapuri police station demanding strictest action against the policeman.