Rohini manhole death: Deceased consumed alcohol on night of the incident, says cop

Rajeev Ranjan, DCP (Rohini), said the call regarding the incident was received at 3 PM on Tuesday from the victim's friend Aamir.

Days after a 25-year-old died after falling into a pit in Delhi's Janakpuri, a similar incident was seen in Rohini, where a man died after falling into a manhole on Monday night. As the investigation into the case continues, cops have stated that the deceased, Birju Kumar Rai, had consumed alcohol the night of the incident.

New covers seen installed over the open drains by authorities reportedly after a a 30-year-old labourer died after falling into an open manhole maintained by the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) in the Begumpur area of Sector 32, Rohini. (Sanchit Khanna/ Hindustan Times)

Rajeev Ranjan, deputy commissioner of police (DCP) (Rohini), said the call regarding the incident was received at 3 PM on Tuesday from the victim's friend Aamir.

"He stated that Rai and another friend, Buddhan Das, were drinking on Monday evening and Das witnessed Rai falling into a manhole while they were returning home. We called Das and he confirmed that he informed Aamir as soon as he regained consciousness on Tuesday afternoon. We started the search along with fire officials and other authorities. The body was found around 9 pm on Tuesday," Ranjan told HT.

"The day before the body was found, they had partied together and consumed alcohol. It wasn't noticed when Birju went missing on the way back, after which he went home and slept... A case of death due to negligence has been registered at Begumpur police station. Investigation is ongoing," the police official told news agency ANI.

At the time of the incident, there were no eyewitnesses at the scene, due to which police filed an FIR against unknown persons for causing death by negligence and causing danger/obstruction in a public way.

Rai fell into an open manhole that was part of a sewer on vacant land owned by the Delhi Development Authority.

“We have now found that DDA was in charge of the manhole but had not covered it,” an officer told HT on the condition of anonymity. The DDA has refused to comment on the incident.

Civic neglect raises concern

The death in Rohini comes days after a 25-year-old bank teller died after he fell into an open excavation pit in West Delhi’s Janakpuri.

In Janakpuri, the sewer line had been under construction for the past three months under the Delhi Jal Board. The pit, which was 15 to 20 feet deep, had been dug two days before Kamal Dhyani's death.

Meanwhile, in Rohini, locals from Begumpuri said that the manhole had been left uncovered for weeks. Shortly after Rai's body was recovered from the site, the DDA covered the manhole with a lid and bricks.