Biker dies after falling into pit dug for pipeline in Delhi; body located 8 hours later: ‘Will be home in 10’

NEW DELHI: A 25-year-old man working at a private bank's call centre was killed in the early hours of Friday after his motorcycle fell into a 14-foot-deep open construction pit in west Delhi's Janakpuri.

The victim, Kamal Dhyani, was returning home from work when the accident happened.The incident, which comes just a few days after the death of a Noida-based techie in similar circumstances, sparked massive outrage over civic negligence. Delhi Police filed an FIR for culpable homicide against the project contractor and Delhi Jal Board officials. Though Dhyani presumably fell around midnight, he was located only around 8am after a passer-by alerted the police control room.

The cops found Dhyani and his motorcycle inside the pit on Joginder Singh Marg. The FIR accessed by TOI mentions that based on the on-site inspection, the incident appears to have occurred due to DJB and its contractors failing to cover the pit, and not taking adequate safety measures like warning signs, reflectors or proper lighting. Dhyani was still wearing his helmet when he was found inside the pit. The initial medical report, as per the FIR, points to a grazed abrasion over the upper abdomen, which may have caused internal injuries and bleeding.

The family has alleged foul play and claimed they didn't get effective police support when they started searching for him after he stopped answering his phone. The FIR stated that the inspection clearly indicated that Delhi Jal Board and its contractors were aware that leaving open pits on the road without safety measures could lead to someone falling and potentially dying. Yet, despite this knowledge, they did not take adequate safety precautions, nor was any security guard deployed.According to police, Dhyani's family and friends began searching for him after he stopped responding to calls while returning from work. "I'll be there in 10 minutes, at the District Centre," was the last thing Kamal told his twin brother Karan around 11.50pm on Thursday. His friend Mayank, who had also called Kamal that night, heard the same reassurance. When Dhyani stopped answering calls shortly after, worry set in.

After 30 minutes, family and friends called him over 10 times, but he didn't answer.Karan and friends began tracing his movements. They first went to Dhyani's office in Rohini Sector 33, where they contacted his bank manager. The manager said he and Dhyani had left together around 11pm, with the manager in his car heading to his Paschim Vihar home, following Dhyani's bike, who was on his way to Palam. After crossing Peeragarhi flyover, they split ways at the next flyover.

"I went below it, he went above.

He even waved goodbye," the manager told TOI.As calls to Dhyani's phone went unanswered, the search widened. Roads near the office were checked again. Visits to Vikaspuri police station brought no clarity. The group then converged at the District Centre, Dhyani's last known location, while others scanned Mangolpuri, Paschim Vihar and Sagarpur."When we went to the Janakpuri police station to file a complaint, they said it could only be registered after 24 hours.

We requested if they could trace his phone while it is still ringing. They found the location and sent it to us, but then deleted it. When we went back, they said they couldn't give us the location again as it is confidential. Then they shared that Kamal's location was within a 200-metre radius," Mayank said.Through the night, Karan, friends and the manager walked the stretch with flashlights, checking the open pits, roadside gaps and even a nearby park, peering into bushes and corners. There was no sign of him. "In the morning, I dialled Kamal's number again. This time police answered, informing that his body had been found inside a pit," Karan told TOI.