A drunk driver hit a group of UPSC aspirants in Delhi's Rajinder Nagar, injuring six people on Tuesday evening. Videos surfaced on social media showed the car's glasses were shattered in the accident. A large crowd of locals and students gathered on the spot, demanding justice for the injured.
Five of the injured were UPSC aspirants, and the sixth was visiting the area when the incident occurred.
The car driver, Prem Kumar (45), was caught and was found under the influence of alcohol during a breathalyser test, police said.
"His medical examination is underway and his blood sample has been taken to ascertain alcohol levels," Deputy Commissioner of Police (Central) M Harsha Vardhan said.
The injured -- Lokesh, Baby, Shivam, Harshita, Stephen and Vipul -- were taken to hospital. While five of them are likely to be discharged soon, one may require further medical treatment. The condition of all six is stated to be stable, the officer said.
Kumar works as a driver and was driving his employer's car at the time of the incident. He was caught on the spot and legal action is being initiated against him, Vardhan said.
Coaching Students Demand Strict Action
A UPSC aspirant called for strict action against the car driver.
"It is not an unusual thing anymore to see such incidents. Moreover, due to the ongoing construction, there is little space to walk and the area has no speed breakers in Bada Bazar. It was just bound to happen because of the negligence of the authorities," the student said.
Bala Krishna (26), a UPSC aspirant living in the Old Rajinder Nagar area for the past five years, alleged that the authorities have always neglected students' demands.
"Be it last year when students died due to flooding in the basement of a coaching centre or today when five UPSC aspirants have been injured, nothing has changed," he said.
Due to the ongoing construction work, walking space for pedestrians has shrunk, he said.