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Three construction workers were killed and another critically injured after a car allegedly driven by a 20-year old student of St Stephen’s College crashed into a worksite on the Dwarka Expressway.

Three construction workers were killed and another was critically injured after a car crashed into a construction site on the Dwarka Expressway in Gurugram in the early hours of Thursday, September 17. The vehicle was allegedly being driven by a 20-year old Delhi University student, identified by police as Vedant Khanna, a student of Economics Honours at St Stephen’s College. Vedant also sustained serious injuries and is currently undergoing treatment at a private hospital.

According to Gurugram Police, the incident took place between 1:50 AM and 2:30 AM near Ram Chowk, where a group of workers was installing an iron frame along the central median. A white car travelling from Delhi reportedly crashed through the barricades at the site and struck the workers before colliding with a parked utility vehicle and coming to a stop after mounting the median. The deceased have been identified as Bijendar Singh, 58, his cousin Pappu Singh, 55, and site constructor Satish Chand, 43. Another worker, Ram Kumar, 28, was critically injured and remains in the ICU. All four workers were from Sarvana village in Uttar Pradesh’s Bulandshahr district and had moved to Gurugram only two days before the incident. They had been staying together in rented accommodation in Bajghera.

Jitender Kumar, Chand’s brother and another worker at the site, filed a complaint with the police. According to the complaint, the worksite had been marked with police along with reflective warning boards, barricades and trestles. Kumar told Hindustan Times that the car struck the barricades before hitting the workers and a contractor’s pickup truck. He said the impact pushed the truck forward by approximately 100 to 150 metres. The driver was also taken to the hospital following the crash. Workers at the site told police that Khanna appeared to be under the influence of alcohol. However, Gurugram Police said this had not yet been established and that blood samples had been collected for forensic testing.

The vehicles involved have been impounded. An FIR has been registered at the Bajghera Police Station under the provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Samhita relating to causing death by negligence, rash, driving, endangering life or personal safety, and causing substantial property damage. Police mentioned that further investigation, including forensic reports, will determine the circumstances surrounding the crash and whether the driver was under the influence of alcohol or any other substance at the time of the incident.

Image Credit: Hindustan Times

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Sheetal Mishra

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Under heavy alcohol influence, a third-year student, Moksh Nair, was accused of harassing seven third-year girls at a farewell party. Their college took a swift decision, ensuring that action was taken.

On the night of 16^th April, around 70 students of Shaheed Sukhdev College of Business Studies (SSCBS) gathered to celebrate the end of their college life. This unofficial graduation party took place near Gurgaon and involved alcohol. This celebration turned sour when Moksh Nair, a third-year student from the college, under heavy alcohol influence, harassed around seven third-year girls at the party, according to the sources.

The Instagram stories of one of the victims brought to light the occurrences of the night. A statement issued by the Students’ Council, SSCBS, revealed the same in an unofficial meeting. The Council briefed the teachers and administration regarding the matter and how it was to be dealt with. From thereon, Poonam Verma, the Principal, herself headed the committee which handled the matter.

Contacted by DU Beat, the Principal said, “It’s a sad affair. We have been discouraging the students to go out and have such parties. Though as an institution we are not truly responsible as students do turn out and say that ‘they are all adults’, and also (because) these incidents take place outside the college premises.” She added that despite all this, they will always be protective of their students just as parents are in a family; however old the children might get. “In any case, these issues need to be handled at the family level as well.”

Image Credits: Students’ Council, SSCBS

The girls involved decided to drop any legal charges and consented the committee, including the Internal Complaints Committee (ICC), to decide the fate of Nair. It was allegedly decided that the accused would not graduate along with his batch and would have to repeat the year; however, the same has not been confirmed by the admin. Further, his placement was also evoked reportedly. Although the steps taken remain subject to confirmation, it reflects how the college authorities were willing to take apt decisions and handled such a matter with sensitivity.

In a study it was revealed that one in every four women have faced harassment in Delhi University, it further went on to reveal how not even half of the students are aware of the ICC. A senior officer from Maurice Nagar police station, on speaking to a national daily said, “We receive a lot of written complaints. However, due to pressure from the college administration, the students end up taking back their complaints most of the time.”

DU Beat tried contacting Moksh for a comment, but he was unavailable for the same.

Measures should be taken to prevent such acts from happening. Colleges should make students aware of the repercussions of such behaviour. They should also spread awareness about the bodies and authorities responsible for such cases, along with an approachable environment to encourage students to step forward. Bystanders or fellow students aware of such happenings should not view this as a ‘personal matter’ and speak up for the person suffering. Such issues should not be viewed as a matter of reputation but an individual matter to be handled with utmost sensitivity and care.

Feature Image Credits: Shaheed Sukhdev College of Business Studies

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