Journalism of Courage
A 32-year-old IT professional was killed after he was hit by a speeding Mercedes in north Delhi’s Civil Lines area on Monday evening. The victim, Siddharth Sharma, was walking home from a restaurant when the incident occurred. An eyewitness, said, “At around 8.45 pm yesterday, at the Sham Nath Marg junction in Civil Lines, a speeding Silver Mercedes hit a man who was crossing the road at the zebra crossing.”
According to the accounts of bystanders, as many as six to eight teenagers were in the vehicle, all of who fled the spot.
The impounded Mercedes at Civil Lines police station. (Express Photo by Amit Mehra)
Police held a minor boy after the Mercedes he was allegedly driving hit and killed the IT professional, but soon after, the driver of the juvenile’s family turned up to claim responsibility for the accident, on Wednesday. But he broke down during questioning, said sources. He told the police he was pressured to take the responsibility for the crime. The accused minor was detained thereafter.
Sham Nath Marg, the road where the incident occourred. (Express Photo by Amit Mehra)
Family and friends of Siddharth Sharma Wednesday released CCTV footage of the accident on social media, after getting it with “great effort”.
The video shows Sharma, clad in a red T-shirt and jeans with a black haversack, as he checks for traffic before crossing the busy street. In a matter of seconds, the speeding silver Mercedes rushes into the scene, hits Sharma and flings him into the air even as he attempts to get out of its way. Sharma is thrown out of the camera’s line of view, his haversack is seen lying on the road.
Shilpa Mittal, Sharma’s elder sister, said Thursday, “The reason we have released the CCTV footage is that people (should) see what is happening. It is very clear evidence. This could have been done two days ago, and the police knew it, but did not do anything.”
All the time that Sharma’s friends and family have had after his last rites has been spent in trying to get access to the CCTV footage.
Siddharth Sharma's sister Shilpa Mittal. (Express Photo by Amit Mehra)
Police will chargesheet the father of the minor boy accused in the Mercedes hit-and-run case that killed Siddharth, as well as the family driver sent as a ‘dummy’ to own responsibility for the accident. The juvenile’s father is suspected of having had a role in the family driver turning up at the local police station to claim responsibility.
The boy, who recently appeared for Class XII examinations, has been booked for negligent driving amounting to murder. He was released on bail Wednesday.
