Editor Mr.Mayank Rawat ( Chief Editor Mr. Rohit Mishra )
New Delhi: A 37-year-old man died in a suspected accident on MB Road in south Delhi’s Tigri on Monday and police are investigating if a water-filled pothole caused his bike to lose balance, resulting in a fatal fall. His family, however, suspects foul play.
The deceased was identified as Rashid Khan, a scriptwriter for advertisements, who lived with his family in Sangam Vihar.
On Monday, police got a PCR call around 6.56am regarding a person lying near the traffic light at Hamdard Hospital on MB Road. On reaching the scene, officers found Khan lying on the footpath with a head injury. His motorcycle and helmet were found nearby. He was rushed to a hospital, where he was declared dead.
According to the police, Khan was returning home in the morning. “He was carrying a helmet but not wearing it,” a police source said. A senior officer at the scene said that there was a pothole on the spot where Khan was found. It was often full of water. Police are investigating if Khan’s bike hit the pothole as he may have missed seeing it, causing him to lose balance and fall. Another possibility being explored is whether the death was a case of a hit-and-run crime.
A case under sections of 281 (rash driving or riding on public roads) and 106 (1) (causing death by negligence) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita has been registered in Tigri police station. Police said they were waiting for the postmortem report. Khan’s family has claimed foul play. They think he may have been murdered. Buland, a relative of the deceased, claimed that Khan had received threats. “Based on the photos, circumstances and nature of the injury, it appears he was murdered,” he said.
The family also claimed that Khan had been in the middle of a matrimonial dispute. Another relative said he generally didn’t use that road to return home. Khan’s kin also claimed that he was wearing a helmet.
A senior police officer said the force will also investigate the family’s claims.
The incident occurred on a service lane of MB Road, which commuters use to take a left turn to Guru Ravidas Marg. Residents and commuters reported that the potholes regularly cause accidents.
The PWD later sent a vehicle and filled the pothole. A PWD official said: “The road is in DMRC’s possession. PWD had written to DMRC many times to make repairs, but things did not improve.”
Kamlesh Kumar, a 58-year-old resident of Sangam Vihar, attributed the accidents to the overflow of sewer water, which fills up the potholes. “This pothole has been there for two months, and it gets filled with water in the evening or morning,” he said.
The road where Khan was found is a busy stretch. E-rickshaws and DTC use that road. A Gramin Sewa driver said that during the rainy season, it becomes challenging to drive. “Due to potholes, rickshaws often tumble,” he said.
Mayank Rawat
