Candlelight march in Gurugram seeks justice for hit-and-run victim Sarthak Mattoo

Family alleged lapses in the probe, while Delhi Police denied delays. Residents vowed to continue protests until there is tangible progress in the case.

Hundreds of people gathered for a candlelight march in DLF Phase 4 on Saturday evening, demanding justice for 34-year-old Sarthak Mattoo, who was killed in an alleged hit-and-run on June 25 in south Delhi’s Vasant Kunj.

The victim’s parents questioned the handling of evidence and accused investigators of delays. Police said all procedures were carried out promptly. (Parveen Kumar/HT)

Joined by Mattoo’s family, friends and supporters, the protesters marched from Ridgewood Estate to Galleria Market, calling for a fair and expeditious investigation into the case.

Mattoo’s parents have alleged lapses in the investigation. They claimed that blood samples of the two accused were collected nearly 48 hours after the incident, arguing that the delay may have compromised efforts to establish whether the accused were under the influence of alcohol at the time of the crash.

“We want justice for our only son, and we will not rest until he gets it. I owe him that,” said Surender Mattoo, Sarthak’s father. “This fight is also to ensure that no other family has to go through what we are going through.”

“It feels like a nightmare that never ends,” said Anuradha Mattoo, Sarthak’s mother. “Every morning, whenever there is a knock at the door, I feel as though my son has come home.”

Surender alleged that the probe was moving at a “snail’s pace” and claimed that some evidence was collected only after the family intervened.

“There are lapses and only lapses in the investigation,” he said. “It was only after we asked the police whether they needed Sarthak’s clothes from that day and his helmet that these items were collected from our house on Thursday, eight days after the incident.”

The victim’s family alleged evidence collection was delayed, while police maintained the accused were apprehended and medically examined without delay. (Parveen Kumar/HT)

In response, DCP (south west, Delhi) Amit Goel said, “There was no delay in the proceedings. The accused were traced and apprehended a day after the incident and were immediately sent for medical examination. The family was kept informed of all developments throughout the investigation.”

Surender further alleged that the case would have been handled differently had the victim belonged to an influential family. “Had it been the son of a politician or someone powerful, the investigation would have taken a different course. But that is not the case for ordinary, law-abiding citizens who pay their taxes and follow the rules,” he said.

The family said Sarthak held three academic degrees and had completed his master’s studies in London before returning to India.

“We had begged him not to come back because of the road rage incidents and crime we kept seeing in the news,” his parents said. “But he wanted to spend his life with us. He came back for us.”

Neighbours who joined the march remembered him as a cheerful and ambitious young man.

“He was full of life, always respectful and passionate about basketball,” said Kittu Mathur, a resident of Ridgewood Estate who had known Sarthak since the family moved to Gurugram in 2001.

Residents said they would continue raising their voice until the investigation showed tangible progress. “We will not back down until there is concrete action and those responsible are brought to justice… The family deserves answers, and the community stands firmly with them,” said Rajeev Handa, another resident of the neighbourhood.

Mattoo was travelling from his home in Gurugram to his office in Noida when the vehicle allegedly struck his motorcycle.

(With inputs from Hemani Bhandari)