In the early hours of Thursday, yesterday, May 29, a devastating accident occurred on Pankha Road in Janakpuri, Delhi, when 19-year-old Harsh Sehrawat, allegedly drunk, crashed his speeding Maruti Swift into a cyclist and a slum dwelling. 

The crash killed two men, Aseem Ansari, 45, and Phool Singh, 35, and left two others, including a pregnant woman and a five-year-old boy, in critical condition.

Aseem Ansari, a helper at a number plate shop in Mayapuri, was cycling home after working overtime when he was struck by Sehrawat’s car, dragged 250 meters, and killed.

Phool Singh, a blacksmith from Sitapur, Uttar Pradesh, was asleep in his makeshift dwelling when the car crashed into it, crushing him. Singh’s wife, Soni Devi, 32, who is six months pregnant, and their nephew, Vishal Kumar, 5, sustained critical injuries and are under treatment.

Another individual, Kuldeep, 28, suffered minor injuries and was discharged.

Teen was under the influence of alcohol
Harsh Sehrawat, a resident of Pochanpur, southwest Delhi, was apprehended by local residents at the scene and handed over to the police.

Authorities confirmed he was under the influence of alcohol, having admitted to partying in Gurugram earlier that night. 

Sehrawat, a recent school graduate whose father drives a school van, faces charges under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for culpable homicide, rash driving, and endangering lives, as well as provisions of the Motor Vehicles Act.

Police investigation
Deputy Commissioner of Police (West) Vichitra Veer reported that the police were alerted about the accident around 3.30 am.

Preliminary investigations revealed that Sehrawat first hit Ansari’s bicycle before crashing into the slum dwelling. The car only stopped after hitting debris, preventing further casualties. 

Police are continuing their investigation, including verifying reports that Soni Devi, the pregnant woman, lost her unborn child, as claimed by her family, according to the Hindustan Times report.