Two homeless men killed by debris on Rohini footpath; 1 held

Two homeless men were killed by falling debris while sleeping on a footpath in Rohini, Delhi. An arrest has been made; investigation ongoing.

NEW DELHI

The police are yet to establish the identities of the deceased. (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Two men, reportedly homeless, were crushed to death by debris that fell on them while they were sleeping on a footpath at Prashant Vihar in Rohini on Friday morning, police said, adding they have made an arrest in the incident.

Police said they were informed about two unconscious persons lying in a pool of blood on Delhi Development Authority (DDA) land near Green Aura Banquet Hall in Rohini Sector 10.

“The victims were immediately shifted to BSA Hospital, where doctors declared them brought dead,” said deputy commissioner of police (Rohini) Shashank Jaiswal.

Police are yet to identify the victims, but said they were aged between 35 and 50 years.

Police said a local parking vendor had allegedly called for an earthmover machine to clear construction debris from the site and during the process, some heavy stones reportedly fell on the two men, reportedly killing them on the spot.

“A JCB machine found at the spot has been seized. The role of those involved in the debris removal activity is being examined,” the officer said.

The crime team and forensic officers inspected the scene and collected evidence, including blood samples.

Based on the statement of an eyewitness, identified as Rohit Kumar, a resident of Muzaffarpur in Bihar, police registered a case under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. Subsequently, Rajgir Singh, a resident of T-Huts in Shalimar Bagh, who was operating the earthmover, was arrested.

“We are verifying who authorised the debris removal and whether proper precautions were taken, especially given that people frequently sleep in the area,” another officer aware of the matter said.

Police said efforts are underway to establish the identities of the deceased and inform their families. Further investigation is in progress.