Karan had other plans too. “He stopped studying after class 9, when he failed, and wanted to finish school. He also wanted to be able to earn enough to buy a bike. He was fond of bikes,” Ritika said. (Express Photo)At the home of Karan, the 18-year-old staffer with grocery delivery service Zepto who was killed in a hit-and-run incident on Tuesday, hangs a large-framed photograph of him flanked by his sisters Simran and Ritika.
The picture is a prominent, striking feature of the family’s home in Dwarka’s Goyla Dairy. “Karan took up the job to help my father with my wedding expenses. He just started working on April 9. The date of the wedding was not fixed… it was supposed to happen in November,” said Simran (20), who works as a room attendant at a hotel in the area.
Ritika, a class XII student and the youngest of the three siblings, added: “Karan was excited about the wedding. He wanted to help pay for everything. He would tell us about what he intended to buy.”
Karan had other plans too. “He stopped studying after class 9, when he failed, and wanted to finish school. He also wanted to be able to earn enough to buy a bike. He was fond of bikes,” Ritika said.
Best of Express Premium
His father, Raju, said Karan liked the job since his friends in the area were also working with the same company. “Hansi mazak mein… they would share food, eat together and go,” said Raju, who works at a golf course.
He said he received a cheque of Rs 10 lakh from the company on Saturday. Representatives from the firm had visited them on the day. “The insurance amount will take a little longer,” he added.
His mother, Pinki, added: “I used to work, but he made me stop working, and said that he would earn instead.”
The accident took place on May 16, around 11.50 pm, near DnD restaurant in Dwarka Sector 10 – his two-wheeler was hit by an unidentified vehicle from the rear. Karan succumbed to his injuries on May 18.
Pinki said: “His friends informed me of the accident at night, and we rushed to the hospital immediately.”
The family has been wondering if quicker medical attention or care at a private facility may have helped Karan. “He was taken to Deen Dayal Upadhyay Hospital, ESI Hospital, and then Safdarjung. Would it have helped if he was admitted at a private hospital? We saw him at the hospital, we really thought he would be saved. He would have just turned 19 in August this year. He had had dinner that day… and headed out after that. He would usually wrap up and be back home by around 2 am,” said Ritika.
The siblings have several videos of Karan on their phones. “We would take videos of him… there would be routine arguments when he would refuse to click our photographs. He would never get into fights with anybody,” Ritika said.
Zepto had said in a statement on Twitter on May 19 that they would be helping the family with immediate financial assistance of Rs 10 lakh and insurance grant of Rs 8 lakh.
A case has been registered under IPC sections 279 (rash driving) and 304A (causing death by negligence) at Dwarka South police station.
- The Indian Express website has been rated GREEN for its credibility and trustworthiness by Newsguard, a global service that rates news sources for their journalistic standards.
