A day after a Zomato delivery executive died in a car crash in east Delhi’s Shakarpur at the GTB Hospital, his brother recalled how the victim had struggled to find a job during the pandemic and ended up joining one which proved fatal.
Krishna Prasad, the elder sibling of the victim, Guddu Prasad, 30, told The Hindu that his brother had come to the Capital from Kolkata around three years ago looking for a job.
Although Guddu managed to study only till Class 12, “he always wanted to be financially independent and lead a stable life”, recalled Mr. Krishna, adding, “He always wanted to work hard and gradually move up the ladder… He was an ambitious person, but you can’t change fate.”
“He initially worked at a mall but after COVID-19 broke out, he lost his job and took up this vocation… I don’t know much about his work but know that the company asks its employees to deliver the food as fast as possible,” Guddu’s brother said.
Speaking of the accident, Mr. Krishna said, “We can’t do anything about the company’s policies… The whole job is about speed and if you don’t deliver the food within a set time, some money is deducted. He had himself opted for this job and didn’t let us know much about the problems he faced.”
Guddu’s brother added that Zomato has not yet approached him or his family regarding a compensation or any other assistance. “It’s the duty of the company to provide financial assistance to its employee who has put his life at risk while doing his job,” Mr. Krishna said.
Guddu’s demise is hurting the family both emotionally and financially. His father is suffering from heart ailments and needs frequent hospitalisation. “My brother’s job helped me in bearing our father’s medical expenses. So, it will be a huge struggle for me if we don’t get the compensation.”
A Zomato official said that the company offers accidental insurance along with other financial support as per the victim family’s requirement. A local team is trying to reach the family soon, the official added.
This is not the first time the family lost a son to a road accident. Guddu and Krishna’s youngest brother succumbed to his injuries after he met with an accident in 2015.
Right after getting the news about his brother’s death on Sunday, after the police took several hours to identify his body, Krishna left all his work and rushed to Delhi. “It all happened so suddenly, my parents still cannot process that their son has died in an accident,” he added.
In the early hours of Sunday, a car crashed with Guddu’s bike, killing two sisters travelling in the four-wheeler and the Zomato delivery executive. The car’s driver, Krishna Rajak, 22, said the family was returning from a relative’s marriage anniversary function in Peeragarhi when the Zomato executive’s bike came in front of him and to save a collision, he ended up hitting the bike before swerving to the right, which made his car flip half-a-dozen times.
