Biker skids on manhole lid, NDMC truck crushes him

NEW DELHI: A 31-year-old MNC executive died after being crushed by an NDMC tanker on Desh Bandhu Gupta road on Monday evening after his motorbike skid on a loose-fitted lid of a manhole, which also had sludge piled next to it. The victim, Kailash Arya, was heading home when he met with the accident. The errant tanker driver managed to flee the spot.
The incident was reported from near Tibbia Collage on New Rohtak road around 5.45pm when Arya was riding towards Jhandewalan from Anand Parbat. Eyewitnesses told the cops that traffic on the road was heavy and Arya tried to maneuver through it, but fell when his motorcycle skidded off. He was thrown off his vehicle but survived the fall. However, before he could move away from the oncoming traffic, he was crushed under the wheels of the tanker (DL 1G B 5791). He was dragged a few metres before the driver applied the brakes. Arya was rushed to a hospital where he was declared dead on arrival.
Locals said that this was not the first time that such an accident had taken place on the stretch. “Often people travelling on motorbikes skid on the loose-fitted manhole lid. The matter has been repeatedly taken up with the civic authorities, but no action was taken by them,” said Satish Bansal, a shopkeeper in the area. He added that PWD workers had removed the lid to remove sludge for the sewer, but did not put it back properly. They had also dumped sludge on the road which had not been removed for days.
Police officers said that Arya is resident of Mehrauli and works as an HR executive with an MNC based in Gurgaon. He had gone to a jewellery shop in Karol Bagh and was on his way back home when the accident happened. His family members said that he was supposed to get married soon. His father, Bhopal Arya, recently retired from a private job, while his sister got married last year.
“His fiancée works at a company in Vasant Kunj and reached the spot after the incident. She fainted on seeing Arya’s condition,” a police officer said. Meanwhile, Bhopal alleged that his son’s body was left on the road for nearly half an hour before being rushed to Lady Hardinge hospital. He claimed that Kailash could have been saved if he had been taken to the hospital earlier.
A case of causing death due to negligence has been registered against the tanker driver and a search is on to nab him.
Locals said that this was not the first time that such an accident had taken place on the stretch. “Often bikers skid on the loose-fitted manhole lid. The matter has been taken up with the civic authorities, but no action was taken by them.”