Speeding vehicle mows down delivery person in Delhi’s Karol Bagh

The colleagues and relatives of Vinod Kumar, the delivery person, accused the police of conniving with the accused and trying to weaken the case. They held a protest over it at the Karol Bagh police station

A 41-year-old delivery person of a restaurant aggregator was killed after an allegedly speeding car driven by a purportedly drunk 20-year-old student hit his motorcycle near Karol Bagh in central Delhi late on Thursday night. The colleagues and relatives of Vinod Kumar, the delivery person, accused the police of conniving with the accused and trying to weaken the case. They held a protest over it at the Karol Bagh police station. Around 4am on Friday, Ashish Kapoor, a lawyer, was allegedly assaulted and his bag containing ₹5 lakh was snatched for supposedly trying to bribe the police.

Representational Image. (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

A police officer, who did not want to be named, said the protesters thought the lawyer had come to settle the accident case by bribing the police. “We have come across a video clip in which some men are seen snatching a bag from a person, taking out cash from it, and alleging the money was brought to bribe the police for favouring the accident case accused. Kapoor claims he was a passer-by and had no linkages with the accused.”

No case has been registered so far in connection with Kapoor’s allegations. Police were verifying allegations and counter-allegations. The investigating officer of the case was shifted to district lines to ensure a fair probe.

The officer said they were trying to find out if Kapoor is connected with the family of the accused. “If not, why was he carrying ₹5 lakh, and where was he going at the time of the alleged snatching. It has been learnt that one of the protesters has Kapoor’s money. We are looking for him,” the officer said.

Deputy police commissioner (central) Jasmeet Singh said the car driver, identified as Rachit Singhal, was arrested and booked for rash driving and culpable homicide not amounting to murder under Indian Penal Code Sections 279 and 304. He added Singhal’s medical examination report confirmed that he was drunk while driving the car and hit the motorcycle of Kumar, who succumbed to his injuries at a private hospital two hours after the accident. “Singhal was booked for rash and negligent driving causing death. But when his medical report confirmed he was driving under the influence of alcohol, we converted the case into culpable homicide not amounting to murder,” said Singh.

Police said Kumar was returning after delivering a food order when the car hit the bike from behind. The impact was such that both the vehicles were damaged. Singh said the car is registered in the name of Singhal’s father.