A DU assistant lecturer, who was allegedly on her mobile phone while driving her Alto car, ran over and killed an 11-year-old boy cycling to school in South-West Delhi’s Najafgarh.
An eyewitness claimed that the errant driver, identified as Ms. Anupama Aggarwal, tried to flee from the spot but was caught and handed over to the police.
Senior police officers, however, said that Ms. Aggarwal herself drove the boy to hospital before surrendering.
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Police said that Ms. Aggarwal is an assistant lecturer in the Home Science department in Delhi University’s Bhagini Nivedita College, which is located in Kair near Najafgarh. She lives in South Delhi’s Vasant Kunj.
Responding to the allegations, Ms. Aggarwal told The Hindu that she was not using a mobile phone at the time of the accident. “I was not talking on the phone. I never use my mobile phone while driving,” she said while adding that she herself rushed the boy to the hospital. “I was not at fault,” she added.
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The deceased, Nitesh, lived with his parents and three siblings in Roshanpura area of Najafgarh. His father Mukesh Maan, who is paralysed in one leg, has a denting and painting business in the area.
Nitesh was cycling to a local government school around 1 p.m. on Wednesday when the accident took place on the Najafgarh-Gurgaon road.
Vikas, who claimed to be an eyewitness, said Ms. Aggarwal was trying to avoid a bad patch on the road when her car hit Nitesh.
He alleged that Ms. Aggarwal appeared to be unaware about hurting the boy. “She reversed her car and ran over the boy a second time,” Vikas alleged.
“The driver was on the phone at the time of the accident. Even when she got out of the car, she was on the phone,” he said while adding that there were two other women in the car.
Another eyewitness, Rahul, told the police that the accident was a result of negligence on the driver’s part. He, too, alleged that the driver was on the phone at the time of the accident.
However, DCP (South-West) Surender Kumar said that investigation so far had not confirmed these charges. He, however, said the woman had confessed to hitting the boy.
The victim, meanwhile, was rushed to a nearby hospital in Ms. Aggarwal’s Alto car. “My son succumbed to injuries after three hours of treatment. The car had crushed his abdomen,” said Nitesh’s father, Mukesh.
The woman, who was arrested for causing death by negligence and rash and negligent driving, was later let out on bail.
The DCP said that the accused even attended the boy’s last rites, but was greeted by a hostile crowd. “The woman maintained a dignified stance and told the crowd that she was ready to face the legal consequences of her actions,” the DCP said.