Speeding car hits taxi on South Delhi road, kills two; one arrested

A 21-year-old MBA student, who was driving the Citroen car, was arrested and booked for rash and negligent driving

A 43-year-old cab driver and a passenger were killed and another man seriously injured after the Hyundai Xcent taxi they were travelling in was hit by Citroen car at a traffic intersection on August Kranti Marg near Siri Fort Auditorium in south Delhi early Wednesday, police said.

The mangles remnants of the Hyundai Accent car. (RAJ K RAJ /HT PHOTO)

A 21-year-old MBA student, who was driving the Citroen car, was arrested and booked for rash and negligent driving causing death and injuries, the police said, adding that he was speeding and driving in a rash manner, leading to the fatal crash.

The dead men were identified as 43-year-old cab driver Girja Kumar Bhardwaj, a resident of Khichripur in east Delhi, and 30-year-old Ranjeet (single name), who lived with his family in Nehru Nagar near Lajpat Nagar in south Delhi.

The man injured in the road mishap was identified by his single name Sumit,20. He is a relative of Ranjeet and also lives in Nehru Nagar. Both Ranjeet and Sumit were drummers who played at weddings and other social events. They were returning home after playing at a wedding in south Delhi when the accident took place, said at least two senior police officers associated with the case.

“The driver and two occupants of the cab were rescued from the vehicle. The three men were badly injured and unconscious. They were rushed to AIIMS Trauma Centre, where the attending doctors declared the cab driver, Girja Kumar Bhardwaj,43, and one passenger, Ranjeet,30, brought dead. The other passenger, Sumit, is undergoing treatment. His condition is stated to be serious,” said a police officer, who asked not to be named.

Deputy commissioner of police (south) Ankit Chauhan said around 4.20am, the Hauz Khas police station received a call regarding a road accident near Siri Fort Auditorium. A police team reached the spot and found two cars – a Citroen and a Hyundai Xcent cab – badly damaged. Three people were trapped inside the cab, the left side of which was completely mangled in the crash. The cab was on a footpath while the private car, the front portion of which was also damaged, was in the middle of the road.

During the spot enquiry, the officer said the Citroen was going towards Andrews Ganj from Panchsheel flyover (Outer Ring Road) on the August Kranti Marg. The cab was on its way to Nehru Nagar from Andrews Ganj on the opposite carriageway. At the Siri Fort traffic intersection, the cab was taking a right turn to reach Balbir Saxena Marg, when the allegedly speeding and rashly driven private car crashed into its left.

“The impact of the hit was such that the cab first hit a gas pipeline signboard installed a few feet away and then crashed into a traffic signal pole before climbing onto the pavement and coming to a halt. None of the two drivers jumped the traffic signal because the traffic light was on blinking mode. The Citroen’s high speed caused the fatal accident,” the officer added.

DCP Chauhan said that the errant driver, identified as Krishansh Kapoor, 21-year-old resident of the Udai Park, was found at the mishap spot and he was caught from there. Kapoor was returning home, which is less than a kilometre away from the accident spot, from his friend’s house when the mishap happened.

“We registered a case under sections 281 (rash driving or riding on a public way) and 106 (causing death by negligence) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita at the Hauz Khas police station and arrested Kapoor. His medical examination confirmed he was not drunk at the time of the road accident. Kapoor is pursuing his MBA from a private institute. The car is registered in his mother’s name,” added the DCP.

Cab driver Bhardwaj is survived by his wife and two sons – Deepak Bhardwaj,23, and Vishal Bhardwaj,21. He was the only earning member of the family, his relatives told media persons.

“My younger brother, Vishal, is bedridden and in coma since he suffered injuries in a road accident around two years ago. I am also unemployed. Our livelihood depended on my father’s earnings. I don’t know how we will survive now,” Deepak told media persons.