Man, teen cousin killed by truck while returning from IPL match in Delhi

A20-year-old adult male and his 14-year-old full cousin were killed after their bike was strike by a motortruck on Ashoka Road in New Delhi on Monday night, barely 10 metres from the Delhi Police headquarters and the Parliament Street police station. The driver fled the spot.The victims, residents of Ashok Nagar in West Delhi, had attended an IPL match at Arun Jaitley Stadium and were returning home when a truck rammed their Royal Enfield Bullet. The 20-year-old was riding the motorcycle while the minor was pillion and speaking to his father on the phone at the time of the crash.The family alleged negligence, claiming police reached the spot nearly 30 minutes later and only then took the injured cousins to hospital.Police refuted the allegations, saying the PCR call was received around 11pm and officers reached the spot within minutes, taking the injured to hospital promptly.Officers on Tuesday said the driver has been identified and efforts are on to arrest him. The truck has been seized from east Delhi and its owner is being questioned.DCP (New Delhi) Sachin Sharma said, “The police control room was alerted about the crash on Monday night. The accident took place on Ashoka Road, opposite the PNB complex. We found the motorcycle by the roadside, while the offending vehicle, a goods carrier, had fled. Two persons were found lying unconscious and were rushed to hospital, where they were declared brought dead.”The district crime team was called in and forensic evidence collected. The bodies were shifted to the RML mortuary. “The offending vehicle has been identified and efforts are on to apprehend the driver. Further investigation is in progress,” the DCP said.The 20-year-old was a BSc student at a Delhi University-affiliated college, while his minor cousin was a Class 10 student at a school in Punjabi Bagh. The family runs a dry fruits wholesale business supplying to major food chains in and around Delhi.Family members, speaking at Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital, alleged delay in police response.A family friend told HT, “Both children are dead and it’s because of Delhi Police’s negligence. The accident took place around 10.27pm in a high-security area, but police arrived only 20-30 minutes later. Their bike had hardly any damage… nobody was speeding. The accused intentionally crushed the boys and escaped.”Speaking to HT, the minor’s father said, “He was talking to me and said the match was a lot of fun. He said they would be home in half an hour. Then I heard a loud bang and my son stopped responding. I waited for some time on the call. After a few minutes, a man picked up the phone and told me my son was injured. I rushed to the spot and found that the boys had been lying there for 20-30 minutes before the police arrived.”The family said the 20-year-old had played in several city-level cricket tournaments and was a net bowler for a Delhi Capitals player. The 14-year-old, too, was fond of cricket and often played with his cousin.The minor was to turn 15 in three days. The family said the injuries were severe and alleged that police did not show them CCTV footage from the spot.“He had just passed his Class 9 exams and was excited. He was looking forward to pursuing cricket and helping in the family business,” said another family friend.