Anatomy of death trap: How Delhi biker fell into 20x14x13-foot killer pit; 'was within 200 metres of home'

NEW DELHI: A 25-year-old call centre employee was found dead inside an open construction pit in west Delhi’s Janakpuri on Thursday morning, hours after telling his family that he would reach home in ten minutes.

The victim, Kamal Dhyani, had left his Rohini office late on February 5 and went missing shortly thereafter, prompting an overnight search by family and police.


His motorcycle was later recovered from the pit, raising questions over civic safety and the handling of the missing person complaint.

Also read: Anatomy of death trap: Killer pit where Delhi biker died, big enough to swallow car; gaps in barricades, slushy path and more


Victim

• Kamal Dhyani, 25 – Worked at a private bank’s call centre
• Resident of Palam; family originally from Uttarakhand

When

• Feb 5–6

Location shown

Joginder Singh Marg, Janakpuri, west Delhi

Killer pit — 20 feet long, 14 feet deep and 13 feet wide

What happened

• Kamal left Rohini office around 11 pm; last called family at 11.50 pm saying he was near and would reach in 10 minutes
• Later, he stopped answering calls; family and friends grew worried
• Overnight search launched across Janakpuri, Rohini, Paschim Vihar and nearby police stations, but no trace found
• Around 7 am next morning, family called his phone again; police answered the call
• Motorcycle and body were found in an open construction pit, helmet still on
• FIR registered under Section 105 of BNS (culpable homicide) against contractor and officials concerned of Delhi Jal Board

What family has claimed

• Tracing his route, family verified Kamal left with his manager; the two split at Peeragarhi before his phone went silent
• Family members claim they alerted police at night but were told to come to the station the next morning; they alleged delay in police action
• Family and friends allege cops only provided a 200-metre radius, forcing friends to conduct the search themselves
• Group combed pits and parks with flashlights, extending their search from Janakpuri, Mangolpuri, Paschim Vihar and Sagarpur
• They allege foul play, saying they looked inside the pit and didn’t find him earlier
• When family sought CCTV footage, police allegedly said cameras only provided live feed and had no playback/recording facility

What police said they did

• 1.35 am: Brother Karan reached Vikas Puri police station; police said no accident/MLC or biker report matched Kamal
• 2.50 am: Karan reported Kamal missing at Janakpuri police station; last mobile location traced near Paschim Park
• Kamal’s photo, vehicle details circulated to control room and police groups across West district
• Police teams, along with family, searched the park, parking areas and nearby colonies for hours but found nothing
• Next morning, a PCR call reported a man had fallen into a construction pit on Joginder Singh Marg

Past incidents

2025

• March – A 37-year-old man lost his life in a suspected accident on MB Road in south Delhi’s Tigri. Police launched a probe to determine whether a filler pit caused his motorcycle to lose balance
• Feb – A car plunged into a massive pit in a section of the road caved in Dwarka

2024

• Aug – Two children died after drowning in a water-filled pit in Rohini’s Prem Nagar
• June – Three labourers drowned in a pit at an under-construction building in southwest Delhi’s Vasant Vihar

2023

• June – A 51-year-old man, along with his autorickshaw, fell into a 12-foot-deep pit in northeast Delhi’s Yamuna Vihar

Residents said the road—named after the father of 56-year-old local Sant Meet Singh—has been excavated multiple times over the past year.

Singh, whose family has lived in the area for nearly four decades, said the stretch has been under almost continuous construction. “Work has been going on for close to a year. The pit into which the man fell was dug just two days ago,” he said.

Singh also referred to a similar incident at the same location last year. In 2024, a portion of the road collapsed, creating a large sinkhole after a sewer-cleaning truck passed through the area.

He said residents have repeatedly urged authorities to replace ageing sewer lines and carry out permanent repairs. “The stretch seems cursed—it is dug up repeatedly for one project or another,” he added.