Veteran Journalist Jasvinder Sidhu Killed in Ghazipur Road Accident
Veteran sports journalist Jasvinder Sidhu, 56, died after being struck by a motorcycle while crossing NH-9 near the Ghazipur CNG station in east Delhi shortly after midnight on Monday. The motorcycle rider, a 35-year-old resident of Khatauli in Muzaffarnagar district, sustained serious injuries in the collision and remains under medical treatment.
According to police, the Kalyanpuri police station received a PCR call regarding the road accident at around 12.15am. Officers responding to the scene found both Sidhu, a resident of Govindpuri Extension near Kalkaji, and the motorcyclist injured. Preliminary investigations showed that Sidhu had crossed NH-24 and the central divider before attempting to cross NH-9, where he was hit by the motorcycle, which bore a Uttar Pradesh registration number.
Both injured men were initially rushed to Lal Bahadur Shastri Hospital. As Sidhu's condition deteriorated, doctors referred him to Guru Teg Bahadur Hospital, but he succumbed to his injuries while being shifted, according to Deputy Commissioner of Police (East) Rajeev Kumar. Police have registered a case under Sections 281 (rash driving) and 106 (causing death by negligence) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, and further investigation is underway.
Prior to the accident, Sidhu had spent Sunday evening visiting a senior sports journalist admitted to a hospital in Patparganj and had left the premises around 11.30pm. Immediately following the crash, Sidhu remained conscious. A passerby used Sidhu's mobile phone to call his last-dialled contact, allowing Sidhu to speak briefly with a friend to request urgent help.
Sidhu had a career spanning nearly three decades in Indian sports journalism, specialising in cricket coverage, bilateral international series, and ICC World Cups. He worked in the Hindustan Times sports department in Delhi between 2014 and 2017, and previously served at Amar Ujala, Dainik Jagran, and the BBC, before recently reporting on Punjab farmers' issues and political developments as a freelance journalist.
The Press Club of India condoled his death, praising his unwavering professionalism and insightful reporting. Sidhu is survived by his five sisters and the two children of his late brother, whom he raised. Family members and friends gathered outside the hospital mortuary on Monday for the post-mortem examination.
