Parents Accuse Police of Delay After Noida-Bound Motorcyclist Killed Near Rajokri Flyover

A 34-year-old motorcyclist commuting to Noida was killed in a hit-and-run accident near the Rajokri flyover in southwest Delhi on the morning of June 25, sparking a dispute between his grieving family and the Delhi Police over alleged investigative delays. The victim, Sarthak Mattoo, was riding from DLF Gurugram to Noida for work when a speeding Mahindra Thar SUV rammed into his motorcycle.

Sarthak, an employee at an event management company based in Gurugram, was struck around 6:30 a.m. His father, Surender Mattoo, alleged that the SUV was travelling at 110-120 kmph and attempting to overtake another vehicle from the left when it hit Sarthak's motorcycle. The occupants of the SUV allegedly fled the scene without offering assistance. A passerby later discovered Sarthak, unlocked his phone to contact a colleague, but the young man died before his family could be reached.

Sarthak's parents have accused the Delhi Police of failing to act swiftly, claiming a 40 to 50-hour delay in identifying and apprehending the suspects, which they allege allowed them to escape. Surender Mattoo questioned why it took so long to make an arrest when an eyewitness had already photographed the SUV's registration number and shared it with the police.

The victim's mother, Anuradha Mattoo, expressed her lack of faith in the initial investigation. She alleged that the police initially refused to share CCTV footage and failed to quickly publicise photographs of the suspects. The family also claimed that blood samples were collected too late to determine if the driver was under the influence of alcohol at the time of the crash.

The Delhi Police have rejected the family's allegations of negligence and delay. Southwest Delhi DCP Amit Goel stated that the medical examination of the suspects was conducted immediately after they were apprehended. Goel added that the forensic report would determine the aspect of intoxication.

Police subsequently arrested 30-year-old Apurv Singh, a resident of Ghazipur, Uttar Pradesh, who was allegedly driving the vehicle. The Karnataka-registered SUV had been leased to 29-year-old Sagar Saha, who investigators say was in the passenger seat. A case has been registered under Section 106(1) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for causing death by negligence.