Abhishek Kumar was not wearing a helmet
Hours after his throat got entangled in a metallic wire used to tie two police barricades together, his family members said “tall and well-built” Abhishek Kumar always wanted to be a police officer. His family members told The Indian Express that he had appeared for the physical examination to join the force twice. However, he did not pass the test either time.
On Friday, his mother Sunita Devi said, “My son wanted to become an officer with the Delhi Police. For it, he appeared for the exam twice. He used to tell me that he would join the force, and after that, all our financial problems would go away. My husband is a taxi driver. Kunal used to help us with whatever money he made as a DJ.”
His cousin Sushil Kumar, who also stays at their house, said in one of his attempts to join the force, he qualified in the racing round but could not do well in the long jump category. “But he kept preparing for the competitive exam. He completed his graduation only recently,” he said, adding that he was good in studies as well as sports.
The victim’s mother. (Photo above by Tarun Tomar)
Maintaining that he would drive his father’s taxi whenever he fell ill, his childhood friend Vinay said, “He used to exercise and go running daily.”
Kunal is survived by his parents and two younger siblings. While his sister is doing a BA course, his brother studies in Class IX.
Speaking on the incident that claimed his son’s life, Devi said, “I heard that two similar incidents had taken place in the same area earlier. If this is true, what were the police waiting for? Someone to die? If barricades are put, policemen should also be deployed in the area.”
A police officer, however, said no barricading is done without police deployment.
“In this case, the barricade was put under the Neighbourhood Watch Scheme of the Delhi Police, and beat constables had tied the barricades to prevent crime. However, the constables should not have left the gap between the barricades,” the officer said.