4 min readNew DelhiAug 9, 2022 01:57 AM IST
First published on: Aug 8, 2022 at 11:10 AM IST
A 28-year-old food delivery executive died in a road accident after he fell off his bike and was mowed down by an unknown vehicle on Badarpur flyover Sunday night. Police said they found a Chinese manjha (kite string) stuck to his two-wheeler and suspect this led to the accident.
The deceased, Narender Kumar, is survived by his wife, Vimla, and their two children, Sheenu (5) and Akki (3). His family said he had joined Zomato three-four weeks ago after he lost his job at an auto-parts workshop. He was working at nearly half the pay and was looking for other jobs so he could send his children to good schools and help pay for his mother’s medical expenses arising out of old age.
According to police, they received a call at 11.56 pm about the incident and rushed to the spot. They found Narender lying dead on the flyover while trucks and other vehicles passed by. DCP (Southeast) Esha Pandey said, “Narender was found lying near Tughlakabad Metro station. His head was crushed by a vehicle and his bike was found damaged at the spot. A stray manjha was also found stuck in the paddle of the bike, near the tyre. We suspect he fell because of it and a vehicle behind his bike hit him.”
At AIIMS Trauma Centre, where Narender’s body was taken, family and colleagues alleged he was lying unattended on the road for nearly an hour and that no one came to his aid.
“We felt helpless… I received a call around midnight and rushed to the flyover. I couldn’t bear to see him… his head was crushed. I kept calling ambulances and tried stopping people, but nobody came forward. My brother was lying there for nearly an hour after his accident. He could have been saved but nobody cared enough…,” alleged his younger brother Puneet (23).
Police said the first call was received before midnight, and that a preliminary enquiry revealed that there was no CCTV at the spot and cameras near the flyover being analysed to identify the offending vehicle. Police also suspect the man was hit by a heavy vehicle as the incident took place after ‘restriction hours’ for such vehicles to ply.
Police sources also claimed an ambulance arrived 15-20 minutes after a police team reached the spot due to traffic conditions.
According to his colleagues, Narender delivered an order at 11.20 pm in Sarita Vihar and was on his way for another pickup. Joginder, Narender’s senior at Zomato, told The Indian Express that he and his colleagues rushed to the spot and found his body lying on the flyover.
‘Wanted to save, send his kids to good schools’
At the family’s home in Pul Prahaladpur’s Vishwakarma Colony, Narender’s wife and his mother Urmila were inconsolable. “He would usually leave at 8 pm and come back around 1-2 am… Yesterday, the call about his death shocked us. The kids are still waiting for their father to come home. He wanted to save money for their education… I just want my son back,” Urmila said.
His father, Vinod, said he has lost all hope after his son’s death. “I was upset when he lost his previous job… He was earning around Rs 12,000-Rs 13,000 there but was fired because we went to Auraiya for Puneet’s wedding. He was then looking for jobs everywhere and finally found one at Zomato 23 days ago. He was going to get Rs 6,000-Rs 7,000 a month but we were hopeful he would get some other job as well. I have no hope now. Who will take care of his brother, wife and two children? I hardly earn anything,” said Vinod, who works as a tailor. He and Narender were the main breadwinners of the family.
Zomato officials said they will support the family. “We are in touch with the family and authorities to take care of whatever is required and could be done from our end. Our hearts go out to the bereaved family and (we) have issued the necessary support possible,” said a Zomato spokesperson.
Narender Kumar (28) 
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