Victim of ‘police negligence’ dreamt to be a policeman
NEW DELHI: The family members of the 21-year-old biker had never thought that the very police force that their son was toiling hard to join would be responsible for his untimely death.
Living in a lane opposite the Netaji Subhash Place police station, Abhishek Kashyap grew up with ‘men in khaki’ around him. His family members said he was so inspired by the profession that it was his life’s dream to become a policeman. But a metal wire tied ‘ negligently’ with two unmanned police barricades to block a road slit Kashyap’s throat and cut short his dreams.
“My son used to discuss his dreams with some policemen at the police station. They were his role model. A few of them used to give him suggestions on how to clear the physical ability tests and written exam to become like them. We had never thought that my son would die because of their carelessness,” said Kashyap’s father, Sanjay Kumar, a taxi driver working for a cab aggregator company.
Though Kumar is the only earning member in his family, Kashyap used to share the burden by doing a part-time job as a disc jockey. He even stood in for his father as a driver whenever he was ill or travelling. The family originally belonged to Baraut in Uttar Pradesh.
Last year, Kashyap could not clear the physical ability tests for constable’s post in the Delhi Police. His friends said his failure to clear the tests or his responsibility to take care of his family members never stopped him from pursuing his dreams.
“He was very disciplined and committed. No matter how late he played music at weddings in the night, he never skipped his morning run and exercises,” said Rohit Kumar, Kashyap’s friend.
On Thursday, at around 1am, Kashyap was returning home from a wedding near Britannia Chowk. He was riding his friend Vikas’s Honda Shine bike without wearing a helmet.
As he took a left turn from the Ring Road towards Anandwas in Shakurpur, he rode into a metal wire that was used to tie two unmanned police barricades put up on the road to curb vehicle thefts and snatching in the neighbourhood. His throat was slit and he was declared brought dead to Baba Saheb Ambedkar hospital. The wire was barely visible in the near darkness, according to locals who reached the spot within minutes of the accident. He died just two kilometers from his house in the Shakurpur JJ colony.
His sister, Priyanka, said her brother was carrying a laptop, mobile phone and a wallet containing cash and his identification documents. “The laptop was returned to us at the hospital, but my brother’s phone and wallet were missing,” she said.
Apart from seeking action against the policemen who were responsible for Kashyap’s death, the family members have also demanded a government job and financial help.