25-year-old Delhi man found dead in open Jal Board pit in Janakpuri, body found after overnight search

 

A 25-year-old man was found dead inside a 15-foot-deep open pit in west Delhi’s Janakpuri on Thursday morning, hours after his family reported him missing following an overnight search across multiple police stations.

The deceased, Kamal Dhyani, a resident of Kailashpuri, had left his office in Rohini on Wednesday night but did not return home. After repeated attempts to contact him failed, his family began searching for him late at night, visiting police stations in Janakpuri, Sagar Pur, Vikas Puri and Rohini.

At around 2.45 am, Kamal’s brother lodged a missing person complaint at the Janakpuri Police Station. Head Constable Ramkesh joined the family in searching the area for over two and a half hours, police said.

“The family did visit PS Janakpuri, and we were searching the entire night,” the police said. “We had Kamal’s tower location from his mobile, but narrowing it down to the exact spot took time. Claims that the police did nothing are incorrect. We will investigate all stakeholders of the DJB work related to this pit.”

The search ended at around 8 am when a woman alerted the police after spotting a body inside a deep pit. Officers who reached the spot found Kamal’s motorcycle toppled near the edge of the excavation. Initial investigations indicate that he died after falling into the open pit, which had been dug for Delhi Jal Board (DJB) work.

Kamal’s family has raised concerns over how such a deep excavation was left unprotected on a busy road. “It could have been an accident, but we cannot rule out foul play. Someone might have pushed him into the pit,” a relative said.

AAP reacts

The incident triggered political reactions and criticism over road safety and civic oversight. The Aam Aadmi Party's national convenor, Arvind Kejriwal, posted on X, “This is not an accident, but murder. The BJP has learned nothing, even from the Noida incident. Extreme negligence and an utterly irresponsible attitude have now become the hallmark of BJP governments, and it is the common people who are paying the price for it. May God grant strength to that family that lost their child due to the government's negligence.”

AAP councillor Raminder Kaur (Ward 100) told PTI, “When I saw the photographs this morning, I felt very sad. A young man fell into a pit dug during PWD work. There were no barricades, no protective fencing, and the area was very dark. This work has been ongoing for eight months. Roads are being excavated without proper safety measures, causing repeated accidents.”

Delhi Urban Development Minister Ashish Sood has ordered an official probe to determine responsibility and prevent similar incidents.

The Delhi Jal Board said it was deeply saddened by the death and announced that a committee has been constituted to investigate the incident. “Strict action will be taken if negligence is found at any level,” the board said. It added that regular inspections of safety arrangements at worksites are being conducted and urged citizens to report unsafe locations on the toll-free number 1916.

Police said an FIR is being registered and CCTV footage from the area is being examined to reconstruct the sequence of events. Kamal’s motorcycle will be retrieved from the pit as part of the investigation.