Delhi BMW accident: Accused couple insisted victims be taken to hospital 22 km away, claims rescuer

New Delhi, Sep 15 (PTI) The couple whose car hit the motorcycle of a senior finance ministry official, killing him and injuring his wife, had allegedly insisted that all the victims be taken to a hospital nearly 22 kilometres away.

Van driver Gulfam, who had rushed all four injured people to the hospital in Azadpur from the Dhaula Kuan accident site, made the claim as he paid a visit to the bereaved family on Monday.

Deputy Secretary in the Department of Economic Affairs, Navjot Singh (52), a resident of Hari Nagar, was killed in the accident on the Ring Road near the Delhi Cantonment Metro station on Sunday afternoon. His wife sustained serious injuries. They were returning home after visiting the Bangla Sahib Gurdwara.

The woman, who was allegedly driving the luxury car, and her husband were also injured in the incident. The Gurugram couple was admitted to a hospital for treatment. They are in the business of manufacturing leather saddles, seats, covers, belts and other products.

Police said the woman driver of the BMW was taken into custody on Monday following her discharge from the hospital. A case of culpable homicide has been registered in the matter.

"Many bystanders were recording videos of the accident site immediately after it happened, but did not help. I was driving a loading vehicle, stopped and rushed the injured to a hospital in Azadpur after the man and the woman in the car asked me to take them there," Mohammad Gulfam told PTI.

"They were in a serious condition. I didn't wait for an ambulance. With the help of some people, I took them all to a hospital in Azadpur. After 20 to 25 minutes, the doctor declared Navjot Singh dead," he added.

Gulfam said that Singh's wife, despite her injuries, gave him their home address. "She was also severely injured. She gave me an address, so I came here to see their family. I tried to save all of them, but couldn't," he said.

Police have reached the finance ministry official's house to record Gulfam's statement.

Singh's wife, in her complaint to the police, had said, "After the accident, we were rushed to a hospital in a van-type vehicle. The couple who were accused of hitting us (motorcycle) asked the van driver repeatedly to take us to GTB Nagar. I was requesting him to take us to a nearby hospital." On Sunday, Singh's son said his parents were returning from Bangla Sahib Gurdwara and had stopped at Karnataka Bhawan for eating.

"They were on their way to Hari Nagar via Dhaula Kuan when the incident happened. Instead of taking them to a nearby hospital, they were taken (to a hospital) nearly 22 km from the accident site. My mother suffered a head injury, even though she was wearing a helmet, and a fractured femur," he had told PTI Videos.

He also alleged negligence on the part of the hospital authorities in admitting his parents.

The son claimed that his mother was made to sit in the lobby at the hospital despite her serious condition, while the husband of the BMW driver, who suffered minor injuries, was immediately admitted.

"Because of this negligence and delay, my father was declared dead, and my mother kept screaming in pain," he added.

The family later shifted her to Venkateshwara Hospital for better treatment. "My mother, who is a teacher, is devastated, and so are we," he had said.

According to police, the luxury car and the two-wheeler involved in the collision have been seized, and a forensic examination of the accident site has been conducted. PTI BM NSD NSD