Meerut, Jan. 25 -- Alleged negligence by the Meerut Cantonment Board led to the death of a 42-year-old e-rickshaw driver, Sunny, who fell into an open drain on Friday evening near Kath Ka Pul on Abu Lane. According to eyewitnesses and local residents, the accident occurred due to the absence of a safety wall or boundary along the drain. Sunny's e-rickshaw went out of control on a steep downward slope and plunged directly into the drain. He was crushed under the vehicle and drowned in filthy water. Disturbingly, the rescue response mirrored the Noida tragedy. Sunny remained trapped under the e-rickshaw in the drain for nearly 30 minutes. During this period, onlookers gathered at the site but made no serious attempt to rescue him. The police reportedly reached the spot about half an hour after being informed. Sunny was the son of Gurdeep Singh, a resident of Khatik Colony in Rajban under the Sadar Bazar police station area. He earned a living by driving an e-rickshaw to support his family. On Friday evening around 5 pm, he was returning home via the road running along the drain embankment. The stretch of road beyond Kath Ka Pul towards Rajban has a sharp slope, which becomes especially dangerous in rain. Amid poor weather conditions, Sunny lost control of his e-rickshaw on the slope. With no protective wall along the drain, the vehicle overturned straight into it. Fortunately, there were no passengers in the e-rickshaw at the time, otherwise the incident could have resulted in multiple fatalities. After being pulled out by the police with the help of locals, Sunny was rushed to the district hospital, where doctors declared him dead. Residents from Rajban present at the spot identified the body. Family members reached the hospital in a distraught state upon receiving the news. Navina Shukla, circle officer, Cantonment, said that according to Sunny's brother, Gulshan, the deceased also suffered from epileptic seizures. The family refused legal proceedings and a post-mortem examination. Following this, the police completed the inquest formalities and handed over the body to the family. Locals have squarely blamed administrative apathy for the incident. Citizens Pravindra Kumar, Sanju Rana, and Deepak Bansal said they had been repeatedly demanding the construction of a boundary wall along the drain, but their requests were ignored by Cantonment Board officials. They pointed out that due to the slope, vehicles frequently lose control on this stretch, and several accidents have occurred in the past as well....