Delhi man collapses on road, passerby tries to steal phone instead of helping; victim dies

NEW DELHI: A man collapsed unconscious on a road in Outer Delhi’s Ranhola area on Saturday morning, but instead of receiving immediate help, a passerby allegedly attempted to steal his belongings before fleeing. The man later died, and police are now searching for the suspects.

According to police sources, the incident occurred in Vikas Nagar at around 4 am. “It appeared from the footage that he may have suffered a heart attack or a seizure. However, we are waiting for the post-mortem report to ascertain the exact cause of death. The victim is yet to be identified,” said a senior police officer.




CCTV footage showed that while the man lay unconscious, two men on a scooter approached the scene. The man sitting at the back initially picked up the victim’s mobile phone, apparently assuming he was intoxicated. He then returned and began searching the man’s pockets.

Police said the suspect appeared to find nothing. Just as he was about to leave, he noticed a nearby CCTV camera and fled the scene with the rider.

The victim remained on the road for several hours. It was only around 8 am, when local residents began gathering, that the police were informed. Cops recovered the body and sent it for a post-mortem examination. Investigations are ongoing.

A senior officer confirmed that a case of theft has been registered. “We are thoroughly examining CCTV footage and other leads to identify and apprehend the suspects involved,” the officer added.

Tragically, this is not the first time such an incident has occurred in Delhi. Last year, on January 11, a man named Vikas, an employee of a private company, lost control of his motorbike near Ghitorni and collapsed on the road. CCTV footage showed three men attempting to steal his motorcycle instead of helping him. The trio later met with an accident, while Vikas, left unattended in the cold, succumbed to his injuries.

Similar incidents have been reported in the past. In 2017, a 35-year-old man, Naresh Kumar, lay bleeding for nearly 12 hours on a roadside near ISBT Kashmere Gate after being hit by a vehicle. He recalled that a person offered him water but stole his wallet and a bag containing over Rs 15,000 before leaving.