11-year-old boy crushed by school van in west Delhi, siblings hurt

NEW DELHI: An 11-year-old boy heading to school was crushed and his three siblings hurt by an Eeco van ferrying children from another school near west Delhi’s Janakpuri district centre on Friday. The children were admitted to a private hospital where the boy died during treatment. A manhunt has been launched to nab the accused driver.
Family members of the boy say that the incident happened around 7.45am when the children were heading towards a government school in the B-2 block at Janakpuri. Eyewitnesses said the van drove zigazag through the crowded road and hit the children from behind.

While the other three miraculously fell away from the car and were saved, locals said that the driver reversed the vehicle over Saroj and fled. When the locals chased after the car and tried to block its way, the driver threatened to run the van over them. The driver then sped towards the Najafgarh road and fled.

The eyewitness, who later recorded his statement with the cops, claimed that vehicle was grey in colour and had a registration number that ended with 0267. The children were rushed to the Mata Chanan Devi hospital and admitted to the ICU where Saroj succumbed to the injuries. Doctors say that he had suffered deep cuts on his head and had fractured some bones.

A case of causing death due to negligence has been registered against the driver.

It was found that the vehicle illegally plied children from Uttam Nagar and adjoining areas to a school, and was on its way to pick up children to drop to a school.

Saroj’s father Gagan Thakur had shifted to Delhi five years back and works at a factory. “I wanted my children to study so that they could fulfill my ambitions. Saroj was the eldest and managed to save his siblings while he died,” said Thakur. Their mother works as a household help in the colonies around Janakpuri.