New Delhi: A 42-year-old Delhi Transport Corporation bus driver was allegedly beaten to death with a helmet and a fire extinguisher by two persons in west Delhi’s Mundka area on Sunday. According to the police, the deceased, Ashok Singh, was bludgeoned to death when the bus he was driving suddenly hit a motorcycle carrying two persons, who fell and sustained injuries. One of the injured beat up the DTC driver along with his associate.
The Delhi government has announced an immediate compensation of Rs 5 lakh to Ashok Singh’s family. The government also plans to provide a permanent job to a member of his family.
Ashok Singh, a resident of Jhajjar district in Haryana, was driving the Delhi Transport Corporation’s non-AC low-floor bus from Delhi’s Karampura to Bahadurgarh. “When Ashok reached Rohtak Road, the bus suddenly hit the bike that had a woman pillion rider. Both the persons on the bike fell and sustained minor injuries,” a police officer said. “Thereafter, the bike owner called an associate and both of them had an argument with Ashok. The quarrel took an ugly turn and they started thrashing him with a helmet and a fire extinguisher kept in the bus,” said the officer.
The accused fled from the spot when the driver, who was bleeding profusely, lost consciousness. The victim was immediately rushed to the nearby Deen Dayal Upadhyay Hospital where the doctors declared him dead at about 11 am.
“We have identified one of the accused and launched a manhunt to arrest the culprits. A case under appropriate sections has been registered at Mundka police station,” the officer said. Ashok Singh’s body has been sent for a post-mortem. Angry over the incident, DTC drivers and conductors staged a protest outside Rohini bus depot, demanding immediate arrest of the accused.
City’s transport minister Gopal Rai met Ashok Singh’s family on Sunday. “The minister announced an immediate compensation of Rs 5 lakh from the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund for his family, and a permanent job to one member of his family,” an official said. Mr Rai also appointed a nodal officer on the spot to immediately clear the payment due to the family by the department, including all benefits he was entitled to. “The minister went to Rohini-III DTC depot and listened to the grievances of the drivers, and also held a meeting with the concerned police officials, who informed him that a case of murder has been registered against the accused, who have been identified.” The police also apprised the minister that special teams have been formed to nab other accomplices of the accused. “The minister also told the drivers’ union to hold a separate meeting with him for discussing their grievances so that the problems can be resolved at the earliest.”
Mr Rai will submit a report about the entire incident to chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, who has asked the transport department to seek a detailed report about the status of the safety of DTC staff and passengers.
