Sultanpuri accident: Sole breadwinner, victim wanted to join politics

According to police, five men in a grey Maruti Suzuki Baleno hit the 20-year-old while she was riding her scooty in the early hours of January 1. The impact entangled her body to the underside of the car but the accused drove on, dragging her body for at least 14km before it dislodged in a mangled state.

The 20-year-old victim of the horrific accident in outer Delhi’s Sultanpuri was the sole breadwinner in her house, looking after her widowed mother and three younger siblings, the woman’s family members said on Monday. However, she was also very civic-minded, and harboured aspirations of joining politics, they said.

A video grab of a car that dragged the woman for 14km on Sunday morning. (PTI)

According to police, five men in a grey Maruti Suzuki Baleno hit the 20-year-old while she was riding her scooty in the early hours of January 1. The impact entangled her body to the underside of the car but the accused drove on, dragging her body for at least 14km before it dislodged in a mangled state.

A Class 8 drop-out, the woman worked at an event management company and lived with her mother, younger sister (17) and two brothers (11 and 7) at a one-room apartment in Sultanpuri. Her father had died around eight years ago, and her two elder sisters were married.

The 20-year-old assumed responsibility of her household after her mother, who worked as a helper at a school, lost her job when all educational institutions were shut as a result of the pandemic-induced lockdown. Around the time that the lockdown restrictions were eased, the woman’s mother was diagnosed with an infection in her kidneys -- last year she was told she needs regular dialysis -- which meant she couldn’t go back to work.

“When our mother couldn’t work and earn anymore, she took it upon herself because there was no one else,” one of the woman’s elder sisters said.

To earn for the family, the 20-year-old worked at events -- mostly marriage parties -- to welcome people, and used to help guests with make-up. “We don’t know how much money she made, but she would give our mother ₹10,000 every month,” the elder sister said.

The mother said her daughter was interested in civic issues. “Last year, she went to meet the local MLA and even fought with a few politicians to get a pothole in the area fixed and also complained about water scarcity. She had mentioned that she was interested in contesting municipal elections and becoming a ward councillor,” she said.

Hours before the accident, the woman had bought new clothes for her siblings to celebrate New Year’s Day. “She used to say that she won’t get married till she helps the younger siblings get settled. She was interested in make-up, so she used to do it at home a little but she wanted to learn it professionally,” the sister said.

After distributing the gifts, the woman left for work in the evening -- hours later than usual. “Usually, she left home at 9am and return only around 9pm, but there were days when her schedule would change and she would return even later at night, depending on what event she was at,” the sister said.