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Delhi biker who fell in Janakpuri pit likely died of asphyxiation, autopsy suggests
Deputy commissioner of police (west) Sharad Bhaskar Darade did not respond to calls and messages on the autopsy report’s content.
New Delhi : While the autopsy report on the death of a 25-year-old man, who allegedly died after falling into a pit dug to repair a sewer in West Delhi’s Janakpuri, has not yet been officially released, a person who was briefed on its findings said that it appears to suggest that Kamal Dhyani died due “asphyxiation” as a result of “compression of chest” and “soil entering his mouth and nostrils”.
Delhi Police officials refused to comment on the findings of the report when asked by HT.
The findings of the autopsy, according to the person cited above, appear to suggest that the death appears to be “accidental”; however, it goes on to state that such an assessment can only be confirmed by a detailed investigation in the case.
Deputy commissioner of police (west) Sharad Bhaskar Darade did not respond to calls and messages on the autopsy report’s content.
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Meanwhile, investigations into the death have revealed that a project manager of a private firm that was awarded the contract by the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) to lay the sewer lines also knew about the accident but did not inform authorities, said investigators aware of the details of the case.
With police already having identified project contractor, Himanshu Gupta, sub-contractor Rajesh Kumar Prajapati, labourer Yogesh, security guard Deshraj, and passerby Vipin Singh, he is the sixth person who was aware of the accident around the time that it took place. The director of the firm, Himanshu, as well as the project manager, whose name police is withholding, were part of a call in which Prajapati told them about the incident, one of the police officers said on condition of anonymity. “But they also chose to hide the incident by not informing the police or other concerned government agencies.”
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While Kumar, Prajapati and Yogesh have already been arrested, non-bailable warrants and look-out circulars (LOCs) have been issued against Himanshu and, his brother Kavish Gupta, the other director of the firm, who are both absconding, said DCP Bhaskar. Another senior police officer, who asked not to be named, said that the LOCs against the Gupta brothers were issued on Friday, after a case of culpable homicide was registered and initial investigation revealed that both fled their residence to avoid their arrest.
“Investigators have seized their passports,” the officer added.
According to the first officer quoted above, the project manager will be served a notice and asked to join the probe after the Gupta brothers are arrested since they are “the main accused”.
Police said that multiple teams were looking for the two brothers in Uttar Pradesh.
Police said Dhyani fell into a 4.5-foot-deep pit around 12:15 am on Friday during his roughly 20-km commute back home to Kailashpuri in Palam Colony from the Rohini call centre where he worked.
He lay there for at least the next eight hours, with police investigations revealing that at least six knew about the incident but did not inform police at the time.
At the time, Singh, who was driving by saw Dhyani fall into the pit, informed Deshraj, the guard in a nearby residential colony, and left, police said. Deshraj allegedly saw the victim in the pit and told Yogesh, who was sleeping in a tent near the pit, about the incident and returned to his place of duty. At 12:22 am, Yogesh saw the victim and informed his employer, Prajapati, who reached there around 12:45 am. However, none of the four people informed the police.
Prajapati then phoned Himanshu and the project manager about the incident and, around an hour later, returned home without making efforts to rescue the victim. “A CCTV camera captured Yogesh pulling two barricades closer to the pit, which earlier had enough gap for pedestrians and two-wheelers to pass through,” said the second officer. During the investigations, investigators scanned CCTV cameras installed in areas around the pit and analysed phone call records of people associated with the company.
