DTC driver beaten to death in front of several ‘mute spectators’

In yet another road rage incident in the national Capital a 42-year-old Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) bus driver was beaten to death on Sunday morning by a biker. The incident followed after the bus hit the motorcycle from behind in West Delhi’s Mundka area. The DTC bus was operating on an inter-state route – from Karampura in West Delhi to Haryana’s Bahadurgarh. The accused was arrested and identified as Vijay (19). He is a resident of Mundka and a student. Delhi Government has announced to provide help of Rs 5 lakhs to the family of the deceased. Gopal Rai, Delhi Transport Minister said, “We have decided that a job will be given to one of the deceased’s family member.” The announcement came following the protest by Delhi Transport Corporation drivers. The incident took place on Sunday morning at 9.30 pm when the motorcyclist had reportedly changed lane and entered into bus lane following which the motorcycle was hit. “At the time of the accident the mother of the rider was pillion with him and both of them fell on the ground after the bus hit the bike,” a police officer said.

After the biker managed to stand again, in anger he flung his helmet at the windscreen of the bus. Following this, all the passengers along with the bus driver Ashok and the conductor Manjeet got down from the bus. The moment biker saw the driver he engaged him in a heated argument that later turned violent. Meanwhile, when the bus passengers tried to intervene, the woman rider reportedly asked them to stay off. “She then made a call to someone after which a group of men joined them who also thrashed the driver,” the official added quoting eye-witnesses’ statement.

They left Ashok unconscious and went away. Ashok was immediately rushed to a nearby hospital where he was declared dead on arrival. A police source claimed that the doctors found no external injury marks on his body. 

The registration number of the bike was noted by one of the passengers with the help of which the biker has been identified. “We have identified the accused but before his arrest we cannot disclose his name to the media. Raids are on and possibly the accused will be arrested within couple of hours. It is still a matter of investigation whether only the accused has thrashed the driver or some other men also joined him. We are examining the statements given by the eye-witnesses,” Pushpendra Kumar, Deputy Commissioner of Police (West) told Millennium Post.

“The body has been sent for the post-mortem examination and the autopsy report will clear the exact cause of his death,” another official said.