Veteran journalist Jasvinder Sidhu, 56, died after being hit by a motorcycle while crossing NH-9 near Ghazipur in east Delhi shortly after midnight on Monday, police said. The motorcycle rider, 35, also sustained serious injuries and remains under treatment.
Police said the Kalyanpuri police station received a PCR call around 12.15am regarding a road accident on NH-9 near the Ghazipur CNG station. Officers who reached the spot found both Sidhu and the motorcyclist injured.
According to police, Sidhu, a resident of Govindpuri Extension near Kalkaji and a former Hindustan Times sports reporter, was crossing the highway when he was struck by a motorcycle bearing a Uttar Pradesh registration number. The rider, a resident of Khatauli in Muzaffarnagar district, also suffered injuries.
DCP (east) Rajeev Kumar said a case has been registered under Sections 281 (rash driving) and 106 (causing death by negligence) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), and further investigation is underway. “Both were rushed to Lal Bahadur Shastri Hospital. Sidhu was later referred to Guru Teg Bahadur Hospital but succumbed to his injuries while being shifted,” Kumar said.
{{/usCountry}}DCP (east) Rajeev Kumar said a case has been registered under Sections 281 (rash driving) and 106 (causing death by negligence) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), and further investigation is underway. “Both were rushed to Lal Bahadur Shastri Hospital. Sidhu was later referred to Guru Teg Bahadur Hospital but succumbed to his injuries while being shifted,” Kumar said.
{{/usCountry}}Police said preliminary investigation showed that Sidhu had crossed NH-24 and the central divider and was attempting to cross NH-9 when the motorcycle hit him.
Journalists who knew Sidhu said he had spent Sunday evening visiting a senior sports journalist admitted to a hospital in Patparganj. He had left the hospital around 11.30pm.
According to colleagues, Sidhu remained conscious immediately after the accident. A passerby used his mobile phone to call the last number dialled on Sidhu’s phone, allowing him to briefly speak to a friend. “He said he had been seriously injured and asked us to come immediately,” one journalist recalled. His condition deteriorated at Lal Bahadur Shastri Hospital, prompting doctors to refer him to GTB Hospital, but he died en route.
Sidhu was widely respected in Indian sports journalism, with a career spanning nearly three decades. Specialising in cricket, he earned a reputation for breaking news and covering several bilateral international series and ICC World Cups.
He worked in the HT sports department in Delhi between 2014 and 2017, contributing several in-depth reports. Earlier, he spent many years with Hindi dailies Amar Ujala and Dainik Jagran and was also a regular contributor to the BBC.
In recent years, Sidhu worked as a freelance journalist, reporting on Punjab farmers’ issues and political developments.
The Press Club of India condoled his death. “His dedication to sports journalism, unwavering professionalism and insightful reporting earned him immense respect across the media fraternity,” the club said in a statement.
Sidhu is survived by his five sisters and the two children of his late brother who died in 2010. Though unmarried, relatives said he had raised his nephew and niece as his own children and financed their education. “My uncle devoted his life to bringing up his brother’s children after his brother passed away. He ensured both of them completed their education and settled in life,” said his nephew, Saurabh Bhatia.
Family members and friends gathered outside the hospital mortuary on Monday, where the post-mortem examination was conducted. Police said the investigation into the accident is continuing.