Efforts on to catch man who stole cell

The Delhi police is investigative criminal nuances in the Hari Nagar hit-and-run case in which a 35-year-old man hit by a delivery van bled to death on the road.

“The accused van driver Rajesh was arrested on Thursday and now we are investigating the remaining criminal, investigative nuances of the Hari Nagar hit-and-run case,” said Joint Police Commissioner (south west) Dependra Pathak.

With the arrest of the main accused, efforts are also being made to identify and nab the rickshaw puller who stole Matibul’s phone as he bled and needed urgent medical attention, he said.

The officer rejected allegations of delay by police over wrangling on jurisdiction saying it was “bereft of truth”. “The only thing was that the police first took it as a murder case but later CCTV footage proved it to be a hit-and-run case,” he said.

On the CCTV footage, which shows a PCR van passing by without attending to Matibul, the officer said the police vehicle was going to take another “sensitive call” and “it’s possible it could not see him”.

“Many people passed including the PCR van which was rushing to attend a sensitive call. As many people passed by the same road where Matibul laid, it is possible that some saw him and others could not, including the PCR van, which was moving in the opposite carriageway of the road,” he said.

Police, with the help of some citizen will arrange proper transportation of Matibul’s body to his native place in North Dinajpur district of West Bengal, he said.

The deceased, who worked as a security guard, was badly injured after being hit by the delivery van and died on the road in west Delhi’s Hari Nagar area in the early hours of August 10.

Meanwhile, the Delhi government on Friday said that it will soon come up with a policy for accident victims.

Delhi health minister Satyendar Jain termed the incident of sheer apathy as “unfortunate” and said that people are callous to accident victims as they fear the constant interrogation or harassment by the police.

“The Delhi government will soon come up with a policy for such victims. The policy is in final stages and the Cabinet note has been circulated. We might announce it by the end of this month. It will be then sent to the lieutenant- governor Najeeb Jung for his nod,” he said.

He added that the policy will provide some financial incentives to the good Samaritans who take their time out to save peoples’ lives.