New Delhi, 19 Aug

A man died after he was allegedly mowed down by a speeding Mercedes car here in southeast Delhi, police said on Sunday. The driver of the car was arrested later, they said.

According to the victim's family members, the car allegedly hit his cycle from behind and it was dragged on the road for several metres.

The 35-year-old victim died on spot after the accident Saturday morning while the driver of the car, Pradeep Gautam (45) from Noida, fled from the scene with his vehicle, police said. The accident happened near Bhogal Flyover in Ashram area when the victim was on his way to work, they said. "The victim was identified as Rajesh from Rae Bareli in Uttar Pradesh," a senior police officer said.

The officer said he worked as a gardener in Jor Bagh area. Rajesh rode his cycle almost 20 kilometres from Madanpur Khadar to Jor Bagh, a family member said.

Police said a hit-and-run case was registered against Gautam and he was arrested. According to police, a PCR call was received at Sunlight Colony Police Station on Saturday regarding a fatal accident. Teams were immediately rushed to the spot, a senior officer said.

Police found a cyclist in a pool of blood on the road near Ashram to Bhogal flyover, while his cycle was found about 150 metres ahead. The deceased was identified as Rajesh and the body was sent for autopsy. An FIR under Section 281 (rash driving), 106 (1) (death due to negligent act) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita was registered.

The car was registered in a name of a private company, police said. "We are also reviewing CCTV footage," said the police officer.

The car in which the accident took place has also been seized by the police. Jeet Lal, brother-in-law of the victim, demanded strict action against the accused. "It was around 7 am, when he was going to Jor Bagh for duty from Madanpur Khadar. I got a call about the accident. I visited the accident spot and identified him," Lal said.

He further said that some locals of the area told him that the car was being driven recklessly and it hit Rajesh from behind. His cycle got dragged almost 300 metres from the actual accident spot, Jeet Lal said. "We want justice and strict action against the accused. We also got to know that the driver of the vehicle was drunk," he added.

Another relative Arjun Kumar said, "He used to ride his cycle for almost 20 km from Madanpur Khadar to Jor Bagh. He was survived by his wife and two sons. We also demand compensation for the family members of Rajesh. His elder son is 12-years-old and younger son is eight-years-old."

He claimed the car dragged Rajesh's cycle for almost 200 metres. Police said that the victim's body has been sent for post mortem and an investigation is underway.