A Delhi court slammed the brakes on bail pleas from Rajesh Kumar, the contractor at the center of the Janakpuri pit fatality that killed 25-year-old Kamal Dhayani. Occurring late on February 6, 2026, the accident involved an unsecured Delhi Jal Board excavation pit, plunging to 15-20 feet with zero safety features in place.
Postmortem evidence confirmed suffocation as the cause, marked by thermal injuries and thoracic trauma from the pit’s dire environment. In its order, the court flagged the profound seriousness of negligence claims—lack of barriers, signs, and oversight—that doomed a vibrant youth. The inquiry remains nascent, with pending witness grillings and forensic review of digging approvals, safety audits, barricade records, and subcontractor agreements.
Release poses tangible threats: influencing witnesses, doctoring proofs, or vanishing, the court reasoned. Clean slate or not, and local ties notwithstanding, the stakes of the mishap and community trust tipped the scales against bail now. Observations stressed equilibrium in governmental lapse deaths between liberty and untainted justice.
Attorneys for the accused hammered illegal detention angles, spotlighting the 48-hour gap from February 6 pickup to February 8 appearance, flouting Article 22(2) and reformed arrest codes, bolstered by SC judgments. The bench held off, instructing Janakpuri police brass for thorough replies with CCTV evidence from those dates. Verdict on arrest validity slated for February 16, 2026, 2 PM slot.
Rewinding: February 5 saw DJB pit-digging for utilities sans precautions in Janakpuri. Nightfall brought Kamal’s fatal plunge on his motorcycle. On-site sub-contractor Rajesh Kumar observed the mishap remnants yet stayed silent on emergency calls. Morning walker alerted cops, culminating in February 7 nab. The decision underscores urgent reforms for preventing such infrastructure pitfalls in bustling Delhi.