Rediff.com« Back to articlePrint this article

SHAMEFUL! Man hit by van on Delhi road left to die, robbed of phone

Last updated on: August 12, 2016 03:09 IST

CCTV footage shows the 35-year-old lying unconscious on roadside, while none of the passersby stops to help.

A 35-year-old security guard bled to death in West Delhi after being hit by a speeding delivery van in the wee hours of Wednesday. While none of the many passersby came to help Matibul, who was a father of two, the CCTV footage showed a rickshaw-puller stopping and stealing his mobile phone which fell on the road when Matibul was hit by the van.

The shocking incident provoked the Delhi government to announce that it will soon come up with a scheme under which people, including drivers of taxis and autorickshaws, will be rewarded for taking accident victims to hospital.

At 3 am in New Delhi's Subhash Nagar on Wednesday, Matibul was walking home after a night shift, when a speeding delivery van hit him.

He was thrown in the air, hit a lamp post, lost consciousness and lay bleeding.

The whole incident was captured on a CCTV camera installed near Meraj cinema in Subhash Nagar.

The footage shows the driver of the van stopping, looking up and down the road, checking his phone and inspecting his van for damage and driving off after a last look at his victim to make sure the man was still alive.

A few seconds later, a rickshaw-puller is seen on the CCTV footage picking up Matibul’s mobile phone and walking off.

Finally, a team of policemen arrived around 7 am and took him to hospital. But doctors said that Matibul had already died of excessive bleeding.

“It is very unfortunate that no one come to assist him. The government has prepared an incentive scheme under which people, including drivers of taxi and auto, taking road accident victims to hospital will be rewarded,” Delhi Home Minister Satyendar Jain said.

The driver was nabbed by the police on Thursday evening.

"Based on the CCTV footage from the accident site, the accused identified as the driver of the tempo delivery van, Rajesh, has been nabbed," said a senior police officer.

Jain said that the government has prepared a draft of the scheme. The draft will be tabled in the cabinet by the end of this month and then sent to Lt Governor Najeeb Jung for his approval.

He also said that a cabinet note has been prepared in this regard.

Jain said that usually people don’t take road accident victims to nearest hospital fearing that they may be questioned by the police.

“There is also a Supreme Court directive that such people who help accidet victims cannot be harassed or questioned. I appeal to people to help them as it is a pious task to save someone's life,” he said.

The victim was a native of West Bengal and lived in a rented accommodation near Tihar village.

Police said that they received information about a body lying on the road in Subhash Nagar at 7 am, following which a team was rushed to the spot which took it for autopsy.

IMAGE: A screengrab of the incident taken from the CCTV footage. Photograph: ANI

© Copyright 2024 PTI. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of PTI content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent.