Delhi biker death: Did police tamper with the scene?

The death of a 25-year-old motorcyclist in west Delhi has deepened concerns about public safety and emergency response, after his family said they spent a frantic night searching for him — only to learn at dawn that his body had been discovered in an uncovered construction pit along his daily route home.

Kamal Dhyani was found dead inside a 15-foot-deep pit at a Delhi Jal Board (DJB) construction site in Janakpuri on the morning of Friday, 6 February. Police said they received a PCR call at around 7.00 am reporting a body inside the excavation, and subsequently informed his family.

But relatives and friends allege the tragedy unfolded over hours in which, they say, authorities failed to meaningfully assist them despite repeated pleas.

Aam Aadmi Party’s Delhi president Saurabh Bhardwaj visited the location and accused police of manipulating the scene. "This is the crime scene... On one side of this road, there's an 8-foot-high barricade with wire on top. There's also a barricade on the other side of the road. On the third side of this road, there's a large iron barricade, and there's a barricade on the other side of this ditch as well. Delhi Police have directly tampered with the crime scene. They have openly committed fraud by altering it.

"It's obvious to everyone here that the biker could only have fallen if someone had thrown him from an aeroplane. This is clear to any basic person... Did the man just appear out of thin air? Should any department stoop to such a level of depravity? Can any government fall to such a low level of dishonesty, just to claim that it wasn't anyone's fault and that the boy died on his own? That's why the crime scene was later barricaded from all sides..."

The episode comes against the backdrop of the recent death of 27-year-old software engineer Yuvraj Mehta, whose car plunged into a deep water-filled excavation pit near Sector 150 in Greater Noida as he was returning home from work. Authorities said the vehicle fell into a pit dug for an under-construction basement, and rescue teams pulled him out hours later after he drowned.

The incident — which triggered protests and allegations of negligence over missing barricades and warnings as well as a greatly delayed rescue effort — sharpened scrutiny of civic oversight around hazardous worksites across the NCR.

In Delhi, according to family members, Dhyani left for home late on Thursday night and told a friend he would arrive within minutes. When he failed to do so, concern escalated quickly. His friend Mayank said:
"Raat bhar dhundha hai, police help kar deti to shyad raat ko mil jata, der nahi hoti to kya pata zindagi bach jati (we searched the entire night, had police helped us, he could have been saved)."

He recalled that Kamal had indicated he was close to home. "We waited for 30 minutes. After that, we called him around 10 times, but he did not answer. We became worried, especially as many people have been getting kidnapped," he said, adding that Kamal's last call was at 11.30 pm.

Kamal’s twin brother Karan described a long night of desperate searching, as family and friends fanned out across west and northwest Delhi and visited multiple police stations — including Janakpuri, Sagarpur, Vikaspuri and Rohini — seeking assistance.

Before reaching Janakpuri police station, Karan said they had gone to Vikaspuri police station where they were told there was no information about any road accident. Officials at Janakpuri later took Kamal’s mobile number and attempted to track its last location near Possangipur Park. A search involving police personnel and family members followed, but neither Kamal nor his motorcycle could be found.

Police said they circulated his details and vehicle information, narrowed down the mobile tower location and conducted search operations through the night, but were unable to locate him.

A senior officer said Naresh and Karan approached Janakpuri police station at around 2.45 am to report him missing. "We attempted to trace his location and found that his last known location was near the district park. Despite conducting a search, he could not be located," he said.

Family members, however, disputed the adequacy of those efforts. "We roamed the streets the entire night," Karan said, adding that he requested them to trace his brother's phone, which was still ringing but no one helped him.

He alleged the location information shared by police did not match their ground search and claimed officers indicated that night searches were difficult and a formal complaint could be registered only in the morning.

The search ended in devastating fashion early Friday when Karan dialled his brother’s number again. "They told us they had found his body. We rushed to the spot, police found Kamal's body and his motorcycle lying inside the pit on a road which he used to commute daily," Karan said.

Friends also alleged they were initially prevented from seeing him at the site. "When we reached the spot, we were not allowed to see him," Mayank said.

Kamal was one of three brothers. The shock reverberated through the family. "Kamal and Karan are twins. We have not informed his mother so far, she is crying and wants to see Kamal, so we told her that he is in hospital under treatment," Mayank said.

While relatives suspect negligence by the DJB and have raised the possibility of foul play, police have ruled out criminal intent and termed the death an “unfortunate incident”, saying all angles remain under investigation.

An FIR has been registered against a contractor and DJB officials. "We have registered an FIR under Section 105 (culpable homicide) of the BNS at Janakpuri police station against the contractor and concerned officials of Delhi Jal Board," the senior police officer said.

Authorities added that the probe is being prioritised and that strict legal action will be taken where warranted. The Delhi government has separately ordered an inquiry.

With PTI inputs