New Delhi, Sept. 3 -- A couple working with the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) were killed on Wednesday evening after their motorcycle allegedly slipped near the IOC red light in Delhi Cantonment and was hit from behind by a Mahindra Thar, police said. Anju, around 50, and her husband Sukhbir, around 45, were returning home to Sector 1, Dwarka, after finishing duty at Lodhi Road when the accident occurred at about 5 pm on September 2.
A staff member of the Delhi Cantonment police station, who was returning from duty, saw the accident and alerted the police. A team reached the spot and found the couple seriously injured. They were taken to a hospital, where doctors declared them dead.
Police said the preliminary inquiry indicated that the motorcycle slipped on the road before the Thar, which was travelling behind them, collided with and ran over the riders. The exact sequence of events is still being investigated, including road conditions and other circumstances surrounding the crash.
The couple had worked together at NDMC since 2002 and travelled to and from work together every day, according to Sukhbir's family. His younger brother Chotelal said he was informed about the accident by relatives and repeatedly called Sukhbir's phone before a police officer answered and asked him to come to the police station.
Chotelal and his nephew were later taken to Deen Dayal Upadhyay Hospital to identify Sukhbir's body. "His jaw was completely broken, and he had injuries on his body," he said, adding that the family understood that a Thar had hit the couple while they were turning right.
Anju's son Rohit said the family received information about the accident around 5 pm.
Police said the Thar driver was caught by locals and handed over to them. He was identified as Bhupendra, 26, a resident of Jhajjar, Haryana, who runs a milk booth in Rohini. He was arrested and booked at Delhi Cantt police station under Sections 281 and 106(a) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for rash driving and causing death by negligence. The case was registered as FIR No. 505/26.
Sukhbir's brother-in-law Ramesh Pal Singh, 65, said Sukhbir had recently built a new house and was enjoying married life with Anju. He said Sukhbir was one of five siblings whose parents died when they were young, with his elder sister helping raise the family.
The family has sought government compensation and employment for Sukhbir's younger brother in NDMC. Police said the Thar, other evidence and witness accounts are being examined as the investigation continues.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.