Traffic police ACP killed in hit-and-run near Rajokri flyover
nNEWDELHI: A 54-year-old assistant commissioner of police (ACP) of Delhi Traffic Police was killed after an allegedly speeding mini truck hit and dragged him for nearly 50 metres on a service lane near the Rajokri flyover in southwest Delhi where he was busy clearing a traffic jam on Saturday night.
The mishap took place around 8pm. The errant truck driver fled the accident spot, leaving the critically injured police officer lying unconscious on the road. The injured ACP, Sanket Kaushik, was rushed to AIIMS Trauma Centre, where he was declared brought dead, deputy commissioner of police (southwest) Devender Arya said.
DCP Arya said Kaushik was posted in Dwarka traffic circle and was returning from office in his official vehicle along with his driver and operator (person who handles wireless) when they found a traffic jam on the service lane near the Rajokri flyover. ACP Kaushik, along with his staff, went to clear the traffic jam. While his driver and operator were busy removing a Santro car, ACP Kaushik walked ahead on the road.
“A mini truck hit him from behind and dragged him for nearly 50 metres under it before hitting concrete barriers placed on the road. The ACP suffered multiple injuries and was declared brought dead in the hospital. A case of rash and negligent driving causing death under Sections 279 and 304A of Indian Penal Code has been registered against the unknown driver,” said Arya, adding that the ACP was not in uniform.
The police are also probing the case from a conspiracy angle. Since the ACP was posted in the traffic unit, police officials have not ruled out the role of a transporter or “syndicates”, including those from Mewat region involved in various illegal activities such as cattle lifting or smuggling of illegal goods.
Six teams of the southwest district police have been working on the case and they have scanned footage from more than 30 CCTV cameras installed near the accident spot and the probable routes that the truck may have taken to flee after the mishap. The police are yet to identify the truck. Officers said the registration number of the vehicle is not visible in the CCTV footage because of the glare of its head lamps.
“It’s a hit-and-run case. Initially, we did not know what vehicle was involved in the mishap. We found two motor mechanics who told us that they had seen a Tata 407 mini-truck hitting the concrete barriers on the road where the injured ACP was lying unconscious. We scanned the CCTV cameras and found the images of the truck in three-four cameras. However, its registration number is not visible,” said an officer associated with one of the investigating teams.
Officials said that a list of mini trucks registered in Delhi-ncr is being prepared. Also, all the motor workshops in Delhi-ncr are also being told to inform the police if any mini truck comes for repair.“the task is tough but it will certainly help us identify the truck and its driver involved in the accident. We have solved some blind road mishap cases through similar exercise in the past. Meanwhile, more CCTV cameras are being scanned,” said another investigator.
Kaushik had joined the Delhi Police as a sub-inspector in 1989. His initial posting was in the southwest district and was promoted as an Inspector in 2006. He was promoted to the rank of an ACP in May 2017 and was serving in the traffic unit since June 2019. He is survived by his wife, two daughters and a son. His family lives in Basant Gaon in south Delhi.