Outcry after 25-year-old motorbike driver dies falling into deep unmarked pit in Delhi

A 25-year-old motorcyclist’s death after falling into a deep pit dug for sewer work in India has triggered allegations of mismanagement and negligence.

The victim, Kamal Dhyani, was found at the bottom of the pit in the capital Delhi’s Janakpuri area last week. Photographs circulated on social media showed his body lying in mud next to his bike. He was wearing a helmet, riding jacket and gloves at the time of the crash.

Dhyani, who worked as an assistant manager and telecaller at a local branch of the HDFC bank, had spoken to his twin brother shortly before midnight on Thursday last week and said he would be home within 10 minutes.

His family later told the police that his phone rang repeatedly without anyone answering and was eventually switched off. Relatives searched for him through the night, visiting multiple police stations across Delhi after he went missing.

"We called Kamal at least 10 times, but all calls went unanswered," his childhood friend Mayank, identified only by his first name, told TV channel NDTV.

"It was his parents' wedding anniversary. He had taken an off on Friday to celebrate it. At home, his parents were awake with a cake, waiting to mark their wedding anniversary together once he returned. Kamal had prepared for kirtan (devotional chanting or singing) and a small party," another friend, Altaf Alam, told the channel.

Hours later, the family was informed that his body had been recovered from a pit dug on a service road as part of the sewer rehabilitation work by the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) – the government agency responsible for the production, treatment, and distribution of potable water and collection and disposal of sewage. The excavation area, around six metres long and four metres wide and deep, had been dug only a day earlier, officials said. Dhyani’s Apache RTR 200 bike was found lying beside his body in the pit.

Police investigations later revealed that a subcontractor and a labourer saw Dhyani lying in the pit during the night but did not inform authorities. Rajesh Prajapati, the subcontractor allegedly responsible for the excavation, was arrested on Saturday and booked for culpable homicide under Indian law.

A labourer, Yogesh Kumar, was arrested on Sunday from Firozabad in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh. Police accused both men of being aware of the incident but failing to alert emergency services.

According to the Delhi Police, a passerby first noticed the accident and informed a watchman, who contacted Prajapati. Officers said Prajapati reached the site, saw the body, and returned home without reporting it. Yogesh was accused of misleading Dhyani’s family when they arrived at the spot searching for him.

“Yogesh was present at the spot at the time of the accident and was among the first to become aware that a biker had fallen into the pit. When the victim’s family reached the spot later that night searching for him, Yogesh misled them by claiming he had no knowledge,” said deputy commissioner of police (west), Darade Sharad Bhaskar, reported the Hindustan Times.

A first information report (FIR), which is a precursor to legal action in India, has been registered under various sections of India law. Investigators said the main contractor involved in the project has not yet been traced and has not been named in the FIR.

The incident occurred weeks after 27-year-old software engineer, Yuvraj Mehta, died in the adjoining satellite city of Noida in Uttar Pradesh after falling into a water-filled pit near a construction site. The victim died after his car plunged into a flooded excavation site as he was driving home through Sector 150 of Noida shortly after midnight amid dense winter fog. His vehicle struck a low boundary wall and fell into a waterlogged pit around 70ft deep.

The case was repeatedly cited by opposition politicians as they criticised prime minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party ruling both Delhi and Uttar Pradesh.

The DJB and the Delhi government issued statements following the latest incident at Janakpuri.

“In view of today’s incident in Janakpuri, a circular has been issued. The concerned district magistrate, SDM (sub-divisional magistrate), joint commissioner of police (traffic), deputy commissioner of police, senior officers from the Public Works Department (PWD), and other senior officials will jointly inspect the site tomorrow and issue necessary directions for appropriate action,” the Delhi government said.

The DJB said preliminary findings suggested safety measures were in place.

“Preliminary findings indicate that the road where work was underway had been closed using barricades and green mesh, and the pit at the accident site was also secured with green mesh. To examine the circumstances of the incident and assess compliance with prescribed public safety norms, a committee has been constituted, which will submit its report by this evening,” the board said.

However, residents living nearby disputed this account, alleging that the stretch was poorly lit and lacked adequate warning signs or barricading. Some said the green mesh was installed only after the body was discovered.

A subsequent inquiry by a two-member committee disputed the initial findings and said the barricading was “inadequate and improperly maintained”. They said iron barricades required under safety norms were missing, reported the Indian Express.

The inquiry fixed responsibility on the contractor and supervising engineers and recommended disciplinary action, daily safety monitoring reports, surprise inspections, and photographic records at all sites.

Three DJB engineers – a junior engineer, an assistant engineer and an executive engineer – were suspended on Friday. Delhi’s urban development minister, Ashish Sood, who is also a legislator from Janakpuri, ordered an investigation and later met the victim’s family.

“The government will ensure that the family receives all possible assistance and justice. The incident is not merely an accident but a serious matter linked to suspected administrative negligence. Instructions have been issued for a thorough investigation,” he said.

Water minister Parvesh Sahib Singh said DJB engineers had been directed to inspect all ongoing construction sites and rectify shortcomings by Saturday evening. Officials also said an ex gratia payment of Rs 10 lakh was likely to be given to the family. The case has fuelled political outrage.

Former Member of Legislative Assembly and member of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Saurabh Bharadwaj, wrote on X: “Shocking!!! An innocent biker fell into a deep pothole on the road, got stuck, lay there all night, and died. The BJP government in Delhi has learned nothing from the Noida incident. They just keep lying every day. Janakpuri District Center, Delhi.”

Congress MP Rahul Gandhi and AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal, who has also served as chief minister of Delhi for a decade, described the death as “murder” in social media posts, accusing the government of negligence and lack of accountability.