AAP Minister blames Delhi traffic police for motorcyclist's death

NewDelhi: A day after a motorcyclist was run over by a truck in south Delhi's Vasant Kunj area after his motorcycle got stuck in a pothole, Delhi Transport Minister Satyendar Jain on Sunday accused Delhi Traffic Police of stopping repair work on the road, and ordered a magisterial probe into the case.

He said that the Public Works Department (PWD) had written three letters to Delhi Traffic Police on July 8, 14 and 21 over conducting repair work on three roads, including Mehrauli-Mahipalpur road where the accident took place, but they never replied and stopped PWD from carrying out repair works. 

"The traffic police did not let the PWD team conduct repair work on the road. They confiscated PWD maintenance vans also. We have ordered a magistrate enquiry to probe the entire incident," Jain said. 

He said that, in the letters, the PWD had clearly stated that it may lead to accidents if potholes are not covered on Mehrauli-Mahipalpur road, Nelson Mandela Marg and Baba Ganganath Marg.

In its letters to Deputy Commissioner (Traffic, South Zone), the PWD had said that repair work on these roads has been held as the traffic staff did not allow maintenance work there. 

Jain said that PWD officials also wrote a letter to the MLA of the area, Naresh Yadav, on July 23 in this regard. "Traffic police is responsible for the sad incident which took place in Vasant Kunj as they did not allow the repair work. PWD teams had been performing the repair work properly for a week," the Minister said. 

Praveen Pratap, 45, had died on the spot after he fell down from his motorcycle which got stuck in a pothole and was run over by a truck.