Delhi Minister Ashish Sood meets Janakpuri victim's kin, assures help

New Delhi, Feb 8 (IANS) Delhi Urban Development Minister Ashish Sood, on Sunday, visited the residence of the family of the youth, who lost his life in the Janakpuri ditch incident, and met the bereaved family members.

Expressing deep condolences, the Minister said that the incident is extremely painful, unbearable, and has shaken society at large.

Minister Sood added that in this difficult and tragic time, the Delhi government stands firmly with the affected family.

"The government will ensure that the family receives all possible assistance, support, and justice," he said, assuring the family that the Delhi government is treating the matter with utmost sensitivity and seriousness.

The Minister made it clear that the Janakpuri incident is not merely an accident but a serious matter linked to suspected administrative negligence.

"On behalf of the Delhi government, instructions have been issued for a thorough investigation into all aspects of the incident," he said.

Minister Sood said that if negligence or dereliction of duty is found at any level, the guilty will face the strictest possible action.

He emphasised that the safety of citizens is the highest priority of the Delhi government, and no negligence whatsoever will be tolerated in works related to public infrastructure.

"To prevent a recurrence of such incidents, strict guidelines are being issued to the concerned departments and the monitoring mechanism will be strengthened," he said.

He also added that the Delhi government will take lessons from this incident and introduce necessary systemic reforms, ensuring that there is no compromise with the life and safety of citizens.

Minister Sood's visit to the bereaved family's home came on a day when the Delhi Police arrested a second accused in the incident from Uttar Pradesh's Firozabad.

The accused, Yogesh, is the supervisor of the DJB project site on Joginder Singh Marg where the incident took place, the police said.

"He was allegedly present near the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) pit in which 25-year-old biker Kamal Dhyani, a resident of Delhi's Kailashpuri, fell to death on Thursday night," the police said.

Investigators suspect that Yogesh was aware of the incident yet he failed to raise an alarm for rescue work and preferred to flee the site.

In a related incident, the DJB project's sub-contractor Rajesh, who was the first person to be arrested for the fatal negligence, was on Sunday, sent to police custody for a day by a Delhi court.

--IANS

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