Two days after a 24-year-old businessman was killed in a accident near the Mandi House metro station on the eve of Independence Day, Delhi Police on Wednesday said that the biker, Himanshu Bansal, was speeding on his Benelli TNT 600i bike. Investigators said that Himanshu would have survived if he had not violated traffic rules. However, Himanshu’s brother denied allegations that he was speeding.
A senior police officer said that the incident happened on Monday night at around 9 pm while Himanshu was racing with his friends, Gazi and lakshay. The entire accident was captured in a chilling video shot through lakshay’s helmet camera.
Narrating the entire sequence of events, lakshay said, “We had gone to Connaught Place to visit a restaurant that we often frequented. However, it was closed on Monday night. We were meeting to decide our morning ride for Independence Day. After Barakhamba Road traffic intersection, Himanshu zipped past us. I was behind him. Near Mandi House Himanshu tried to save an elderly, he lost balance and his bike hit the wall. “The video clearly shows that the deceased was speeding. He also hit a passerby,” said a senior police officer involved in the investigation.
Meanwhile, police added that they are yet to identify the elderly man involved in the accident. Gazi and lakshay rushed Himanshu to a nearby hospital, where he was declared brought dead. He had suffered critical injuries despite wearing a helmet. Himanshu’s elder brother, Ankush Bansal, denied allegations that the deceased was speeding at the time of the accident.
“Himanshu was riding at around 80 km per hour,” he said. “He lost his life trying to save the old man.” According to police, Himanshu had gone to Connaught Place with his two friends to discuss a motorcycle trip planned for the next day. The trio wanted to race to Murthal on Tuesday morning, when the roads were expected to be free of traffic on account of Independence Day.
The deceased and his friends used to record their biking experiences through helmet cameras, and share them with each other later. Himanshu’s family members, who own a utensil-manufacturing business in East Delhi’s Jhilmil Colony, told police that he was a member of a motorcycle club. Though he claimed to be a “confident biker”, they would always warn him against driving rashly on the streets.
The second of two sons, he used to assist his family in running their business. Police said the accident made Himanshu’s friends aware of the dangers of speeding. lakshay has reportedly abandoned his superbike and resolved to never indulge in rash driving again.