A trivial incident of splashing water on bystanders on a waterlogged Delhi street resulted in the death of a man in Delhi on Wednesday. A fight broke out in South Delhi’s Sangam Vihar on Wednesday evening when a tanker driver splashed water on the occupants of an autorickshaw while driving his vehicle.
According to news agency PTI, the incident occurred when an autorickshaw broke down on the waterlogged street and the occupants were trying to fix it. As they were working, a water tanker passed them and splashed water. Angered at this, the youths hurled stones at the tanker resulting in a confrontation.
As public anger grew, the tanker driver tried to flee the spot in his vehicle mowing down one of the bystanders, Shahdab alias Saddam. According to PTI, Saddam (21) was rushed to a nearby hospital where he was declared ‘brought dead’.
The crowd was further angered by the death and intensified its attack on the 35-year-old tanker driver, Sapan Singh. Scared at this, Singh fled the scene abandoning the vehicle at the spot.
The situation got so tense that police were deployed at the scene.
Additional DCP East District, Achin Garg told ANI that after the water was splashed, Sapan Singh got scared and moved his vehicle forward and “one person came under it”. Seeing the stone pelting, another auto driver, Bablu Ahmed, questioned those throwing stones at the tanker. The people their stabbed him. He was taken to Majidia Hospital and then referred to Safdarjung Hospital.
“Meanwhile, another auto driver was passing by and asked what happened, and why they were pelting stones. They also attacked the auto driver with a knife. The investigation is underway…" Garg said.
DCP South Delhi Ankit Chauhan said that Saddam’s body was taken into custody and sent to the mortuary for autopsy. Saddam lived with his family in the Sangam Vihar area, Chauhan added.
The police said that Bablu's condition remains critical. He was stabbed at two places in his body. No arrest has been made yet.