Demonstrators block traffic and shout slogans against the Noida police at the Sector 12-22 crossing on Sunday after a speeding BMW caused the death of a 20-year-old youth on Saturday. (Photo: Asian Age)
Family and friends of a 20-year-old youth, killed by a speeding BMW on Saturday, staged a protest against alleged police inaction on Sunday at Sector 12-22 crossing in the city.
The deceased, Gulfam Ali, was one of the six victims injured by the speeding car on Saturday. He died during treatment at the Safdarjung Hospital in New Delhi late on Saturday night. His family alleged that the driver of the BMW car was yet to be arrested more than 24 hours after the mishap. Other injured are undergoing treatment at a local hospital in the city.
In the ensuing protests, dozens of demonstrators blocked traffic at the crossing as they placed Gulfam’s body on the road near Noida’s 12-22 crossing post noon and camped there for several hours demanding swift action and raising slogans against the Noida police. They refused to conduct Gulfam’s funeral until the BMW car driver was arrested.
“My brother died of no fault of his own. He died because an errant driver indulged in a race on a busy road. All we want is justice. The police should arrest the perpetrators whose name and address is known to them. Why the delay ” said Gulfam’s brother Nawaz.
“It has been more than 24 hours and the police is not doing anything. We want justice. My son got killed because of a rich man’s stunts on a busy road,” said Gulfam’s father.
Several police officers, too, reached the spot to convince the protesters and to clear the crossing. However, it was by late afternoon that the protesters left the crossing and removed Gulfam’s body on the assurance of senior police officials.
The family later took Gulfam’s body to their ancestral town of Moradabad, where he is likely to be buried on Monday morning.
Senior Noida police officials said that they have identified the BMW car owner and the driver who fled from the spot after the accident. The car was allegedly being driven by Vinod Kumar, a resident of Mayur Vihar in East Delhi.
He owns a gym in Delhi, the Noida police said. Eyewitnesses claim that the accused driver brandished a gun before fleeing from the spot and the Noida police is investigating the claim.
“The driver fled, leaving the car behind. We have seized the car and registered a case under IPC Section 304 at the Noida Sector 24 police station. We have also got to know by sources that the driver brandished a pistol to flee from the spot. The claims of eyewitnesses will also be investigated. We have detained four people in the case for questioning,” said Kiran S., senior superintendent of police (SSP), Gautam Budh Nagar.
He added that if needed more IPC sections would be added in the FIR against the BMW driver.
