A 42-year-old Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) bus driver died after being mercilessly thrashed by a motorcyclist in an apparent case of road rage reported in West Delhi’s Mundka on Sunday morning. The police said the assault was triggered after the mother of the accused suffered injuries when the motorcycle was hit by the bus.
The incident led to angry bus drivers and conductors staging protests in the city and threatening a strike on Monday. According to the police, the accused motorcyclist pounded the bus driver, identified as Ashok Kumar, with his helmet.
The bus involved in the incident operates on an inter-State route between Karampura in West Delhi and Bahadurgarh in Haryana, where it was heading to at the time of the incident. The victim is a native of Jhajjar in Haryana.
“The motorcyclist’s mother, who was riding pillion, fell down. Eyewitnesses claim that the accused was mad with rage after seeing his mother fall,” a senior police officer said.
The biker , who, according to police sources, is suspected to be a minor, fled before the police could reach. He has, however, been identified on the basis of the motorcycle’s registration number.
There were no external injuries on Ashok. His autopsy report is awaited to ascertain the precise reason behind his death. The incident occurred at 9:40 a.m. on Mundka-Rohtak Road. The bus conductor, on whose statement a case of murder has been registered, told the police that the motorcyclist suddenly changed his lane which led to the two-wheeler being hit by the bus.
Seeing his mother’s fall, the motorcyclist allegedly flung his helmet at the windshield of the bus, shattering it in the process.
An argument broke out between the motorcyclist and the driver which soon turned violent. Before the bus passengers could react, the accused had landed several blows on the face and chest of the driver. He also attacked him with his helmet which the police suspect caused his death. Some eyewitnesses also claimed that the accused used the bus’ fire extinguisher to assault Ashok, but the police said that is yet to be confirmed.
Senior officers said statements of the bus conductor and other eyewitnesses ruled out the role of any other person.
Scores of DTC employees staged a protest at the Rohini-III DTC depot on Sunday evening, demanding immediate arrest of the accused. They also blocked Peeragarhi Outer Ring Road for a few hours.
K C Malik, spokesperson of the DTC Mazdoor Mahasabha, said they would sit on protest again on Monday. “We will seek a compensation of at least Rs. 1 crore for his family,” he said.
