'He was just 15 mins away from home': 25-year-old man who fell into Delhi Jal Board pit could have been saved with timely action, friend says

Kamal was found dead in the pit

• A biker was found dead in a water-filled pit in Janakpuri, west Delhi.
• Family alleges police delay and negligence by Delhi Jal Board in the incident.
• Investigation is underway after the body and bike were recovered from the pit.

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After a biker was found dead in a water-filled pit in west Delhi’s Janakpuri, a close friend of the deceased raised serious questions over the police response and alleged foul play, saying the young man could have been saved.

The incident comes days after a similar case in Noida, where a man died after falling into a water filled pit. In the Delhi case, the deceased has been identified as Kamal, who was returning home late at night from his workplace in Rohini. The pit was allegedly dug by the Delhi Jal Board.

Speaking to reporters, the deceased’s friend said Kamal was in touch with him shortly before he went missing. “... I had talked to him last night when he had reached the District Centre. He was just 15 minutes from home...” he said.

According to the friend, concern grew when Kamal did not reach home even an hour later. “An hour later, when he didn't reach home, we came to the District Centre. He wasn't picking up our calls. His bike was nowhere to be seen,” he said.

The family and friends then approached the police, but claimed immediate action was not taken. “When we went to the police station to file a complaint, we were told that our complaint would not be registered before 11 am...” the friend alleged.

He said the police later helped them trace Kamal’s last known location and advised them to search the area. “The police helped us find the location of my friend and asked us to look for him in a 200 metre radius here. 7 people were searching for him from midnight to 7 am, but we could not find him,” he said.

The friend claimed that the pit where Kamal was eventually found had already been checked during the night. “At 1 am, when we checked the pit, he was not there. We were on this road all the time, but we don't understand how he ended up here after we checked,” he said.

According to him, the group returned home around 7 am, only to receive a call shortly after. “When we went back home at 7 am, we received a call from my friend's phone, and the police informed us that he was here in the pit,” he said, questioning why the phone could not be traced earlier. “Why could his phone not be traced by the police at night? We suspect he was killed...” he added.

Expressing anguish over the delay, the friend said, “What must his parents be going through... We still haven't informed his mother...” He said Kamal was 25 years old and worked at an HDFC Bank call centre in Rohini Sector 10.

After the body was recovered, police personnel were deployed and barricades were placed around the pit. Questioning the timing of these measures, the friend said, “Police have been deployed, and barricades have been set up around the pit now. Why couldn't they do it earlier? My friend could have been saved...”

Police said Kamal was found dead inside the pit along with his motorcycle after he went missing while returning home from work. The family has alleged negligence on the part of the Delhi Jal Board, blaming it for the accident. Officials said an investigation into the matter is currently underway.