Trucker who ran over two on bike on Ashoka Road was carrying debris from Jeevan Tara building: Delhi police

Police revealed the truck driver in the Ashoka Road hit-and-run case was carrying debris and is currently at large after killing two young men.

New Delhi

The deceased, Yagya Bhatia, 20, and Abhav Bhatia, 14, residents of Ashok Nagar in west Delhi, were returning home after watching an IPL cricket match at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, when the trucker reportedly rammed their Royal Enfield and the two were run over. (Representative photo)

Investigation into the Ashoka Road hit-and-run case revealed that the accused truck driver was carrying debris he had picked from the Jeevan Tara building on Ashoka Road, police said on Friday, in connection with the death of a 20-year-old man and his 14-year-old cousin, who died after their motorcycle was hit by the truck last Sunday night.

The deceased, Yagya Bhatia, 20, and Abhav Bhatia, 14, residents of Ashok Nagar in west Delhi, were returning home after watching an IPL cricket match at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, when the trucker reportedly rammed their Royal Enfield and the two were run over.

Police on Friday said they have seized the truck, but its driver remained at large. They found that it also had a special permit from the Delhi Traffic Police.

A senior police officer, who did not wish to be named, said, “Since no commercial goods carrier vehicles are not allowed in New Delhi, we thought the truck had violated some norm but later found that the accused had a special permit from the police. He was part of the construction work going on at Jeevan Tara building. He was clearing debris from there and was moving towards Mahadev Road when he took a sharp turn and hit the bike.”

The Jeevan Tara building houses the office of the ministry of tribal affairs, a nationalised bank and a major insurance company, among other offices. The building is located near the Patel Chowk Metro station and close to the Parliament Street police station.

The senior officer also shared that permits are required for any commercial vehicle movement, entry or parking, especially at late hours.

A second officer said that the accused has five challans against him. “While teams have been sent to look for him in Delhi, UP and Bihar, we found that the driver has five challans in Delhi against him. These include two challans for parking in no-parking zones, three challans for taking vehicle in no-entry zones.”

The deceased lived with their parents in Ashok Nagar. The family runs a dry fruits wholesale business supplying to major food chains in and around Delhi.