Zomato agent killed in Delhi accident was a restaurant manager before he lost his job during pandemic

A year after losing his job in 2020, Salil Tripathi lost his father to the coronavirus. (Image posted on Facebook by Salil Tripathi)

A 38-year-old man in Delhi, who lost his job as a restaurant manager because of the coronavirus, and had to take up the work of delivering food to support his family, died in a road accident on Saturday.

Salil Tripathi was out delivering an order in Rohini in north-west Delhi when he was hit by a constable allegedly driving under influence, according to news agency PTI.

The constable rammed his car into his Tripathi’s bike. He was flung into the air and hit a divider. A resident took him to the hospital, where he was declared brought dead. The constable has been arrested.

Tripathi was the only earning member in his family, the Delhi Police said. He is survived by his wife and son.

A hotel management graduate from Ayodhya, Tripathi had worked in several high-profile hotels, before getting a job as a manager at a restaurant in Delhi’s Hudson Lane, The Indian Express reported.

Tripathi’s elder brother Manoj said he led a comfortable life and even sent money back home to Ayodhya. But things changed after he lost his job.

“We were struggling to make ends meet,” Tripathi’s brother told The Indian Express. “Now, we have lost him. We don’t know how we will run the house now. I am a farmer, and I don’t have much savings.”

The brothers suffered a tragedy in April last year. Their father died due to the coronavirus during the devastating second wave of the pandemic. Tripathi took up a job with Zomato to meet expenses. From earning up to Rs 50,000 per month, his income reduced to Rs 10,000.

The arrest of the constable responsible for Tripathi’s death has brought little solace to the grieving family. “What do I do now? Tripathi’s wife told The Indian Express. “I have lost him forever. My son keeps asking questions.”

Tripathi’s story captures the distress of many other Indians who lost jobs and family members because of the coronavirus crisis. Businesses opened up after the devastating second wave receded but with Omicron spreading rapidly, they are looking at closures again.

The Covid-19 outbreak in India and the imposition of the nationwide lockdown in 2020 severely hit the country’s employment sector. In 2020, nearly 10.9 million jobs were lost across sectors.

Between February and May 2021, about 7.5 million jobs were lost in India, according to data compiled by Moneycontrol.