Craze for speed and faster bikes snuffed out two lives on Friday morning after two medical students riding on Signature Bridge lost control over their KTM Duke bike and fell down on the Yamuna riverbed. This was the first accident on this 3.5-km long bridge that is hailed as an engineering marvel constructed at a height of 154 metres above the river.
The victims have identified as Satya Vijay Shankaran (23), and Chandra Shekhar (22). Shankaran, who hailed from Ranchi, was pursuing internship with Hindu Rao Hospital while Shekhar, a resident of Khanpur in South Delhi, was a second year MBBS student of Hindu Rao Medical College and used to stay in hostel.
Taking cognisance of the incident, the Delhi Government has directed all Public Works Department (PWD) officials and engineers to ensure roads and footpaths are repaired by November 30. The Government also asked officials to submit status report.
Jasmeet Singh, Additional DCP, East district, said, “They were riding KTM Duke bike towards Timarpur from northeast Delhi side. They were obviously speeding while taking a turn towards Majnu Ka Tila. It appears that they lost control and the bike hit a road divider and the bike skidded and crashed into the central verge.
The impact was such that they were thrown above and they fell 25-30 feet down from the bridge. Police Control Room was informed about this incident at about 8.40 am by a passerby. A police van managed to take them out and rushed them to the hospital. They were declared dead on arrival.” However, the police denied that the two medical students were performing stunts. It has been ruled out in the initial probe and there is no space for such manoeuvering. “Being a left turn, the possibility that they were performing stunts has been ruled out,” said the Additional DCP.
“Initial probe suggests that one biker’s foot was allegedly caught in a stray wire from a streetlight. The bike, moving at a high speed, was flung up in the air. The bike was left dangling from a railing and the riders fell head long,” said the senior police official.
“The bike was recovered from bridge which also indicated that they had hit the divider on the bridge. We have informed their families regarding the incident. The bodies have been sent for post-mortem. Further investigation is going on to ascertain the reason behind the accident,” said the senior police official.
“Chandra Shekhar had a craze for bikes and his mother always used to oppose it. To save travel time he was staying in hostel but used to visit parents on weekends,” said Shiv Narayan, father of Chandra Shekhar.
This is the first such accident on the Signature Bridge since its inauguration by Chief Minister Arvind Kerjiwal on November 4. Over the past few weeks, the bridge has emerged as a site for daring selfies and traffic violations. Thrill-seekers are often spotted climbing the suspension cables to take selfies. Recently, a case of obscenity was filed by Delhi Police after a video of transgenders stripping and dancing on the Signature Bridge was circulated online.