Biker death: AAP, cops continue to trade barbs

During the ongoing blame-game between the AAP and Delhi Police after the death of a motorist whose bike was stuck in a pothole in Vasant Kunj area and got hit by a truck, Delhi Traffic Police on Monday rubbished the allegations framed by AAP for not giving a nod for repair works.

Delhi PWD minister Satyendar Jain on Sunday alleged that the Delhi Police are preventing his officers from repairing potholes at Vasant Kunj on the Mehrauli-Mahipalpur road which led to the tragic accident. The minister also produced two letters written by the Executive Engineer of the area to the DCP (Traffic) Southern Range to order police not to obstruct maintenance of the road.

“They seized our daily maintenance vehicle. We wrote the first letter on July 8 then on July 14 and finally on July 21,” said Jain. However, Delhi Traffic Police on Monday said: “The PWD does not need to take any permission from the Delhi Police, rather they need to inform traffic police only when there is a big project which calls for a long time. Accordingly, the traffic police makes diversion arrangements.”

“In case of potholes and patch works, the concerned land owning agency does not require to seek permission. These kind of works come under daily routine works. And the pothole in Vasant Kunj area where the accident took place was not a big project. The repair work could have been completed within a day,” a senior traffic police official, requesting anonymity said.

The letter written to the DCP Traffic Southern Range reads: “Traffic staff is not allowing maintenance work on drains and footpaths, potholes on the carriageway and drains etc. The maintenance van deployed for day-to-day maintenance has been detained in the thana consequently, the various works on important roads like Nelson Mandela, Baba Gangnath, and Mehrauli – Mahipalpur are held up for repair work.”

MLA Naresh Yadav alleged that a Traffic Inspector Vidyadhar used to prevent contractors and workers from maintaining the road. “We have complained several times in writing and brought up the issue with senior officers but nobody paid attention,” added Yadav.

Reacting to it, the traffic cop said: “A probe has been ordered to find out on what reasons the vehicle was impounded.” Meanwhile, other traffic police officials said that they in turn help the PWD to continue with the repair work and in addition they provide barricades and other indicators to alert commuters.