Green sheets, barricades put up after Delhi biker's pit accident? Details point to lapses; site was dug up hours before mishap

Dhyani was coming back from office when the incident took place

• Police suspect contractors covered up lapses after Kamal Dhyani's fatal fall.
• Non-bailable warrants issued for contractors Himanshu Gupta and Kavish
• Family alleges main culprits remain unpunished despite arrests

Did our AI summary help?

Police investigating the death of 25-year-old Kamal Dhyani, who fell into a pit in Janakpuri, are probing whether contractors working at the site attempted to cover up lapses.

Sources said Yogesh, the labourer arrested in connection with the incident, told police that he was asked by sub-contractor Rajesh Kumar Prajapati to alter the accident site. Both Yogesh and Prajapati have been taken into custody.

A senior police officer said, "Prajapati directed Yogesh to put up green sheets and position barricades in a way that created the appearance that all safety protocols were in place." Investigators also suspect a conference call took place shortly after the incident involving Prajapati, contractor Himanshu Gupta, and his employee who works as a manager, during which the incident was discussed but deliberately withheld from police. "We will question the manager," the officer added. The officer said that when Dhyani’s family visited the site, Yogesh allegedly did not disclose any details despite knowing what had happened.

An eyewitness, Vipin Singh, said he saw a motorcycle fall into the pit on Friday and informed the security guard of a nearby residential complex. The guard then alerted Yogesh. When Yogesh arrived at the scene, the bike’s headlight was still on. He contacted his superior, Rajesh Prajapati, at 12:22 am. Prajapati reached the site within 15-20 minutes from his home in Tri Nagar.

Police said the pit had been dug on January 5 in the afternoon, just a few hours before the accident. Meanwhile, Dhyani’s family alleged that those arrested were merely "small players" while the ones truly responsible were yet to be held accountable. On Monday, non-bailable warrants were issued against contractors Himanshu Gupta and his brother Kavish, but they failed to join the probe, police said. Teams are conducting raids in Uttar Pradesh and other states. While Prajapati’s police custody was extended by one day, Yogesh was remanded in judicial custody. Police received the post-mortem report on Monday evening, and the family confirmed that the cause of death was asphyxia.

Kamal, who worked at a call centre, last spoke to his twin brother Karan at 12.50 am on Friday, telling him he would be home in 15 minutes. He also called his mother and asked her to make chapatis, saying he was on his way. That phone call was the last contact the family had with him.

When Kamal did not return home and stopped answering calls, his family grew worried and went out to look for him. They first went to his workplace in Rohini, where they were told he had already left. The family then spent the night visiting several police stations and searching deserted roads in hopes of finding his motorcycle.

By morning, police informed the family that Kamal had been found dead. His body, with his helmet still on, and his motorcycle were discovered inside a 15-foot-deep pit in Janakpuri. The trench had been dug as part of a sewer pipeline rehabilitation project carried out by the Delhi Jal Board. Police said Kamal fell into the open pit while riding home.