An 82-year-old retired Army man was killed after being struck by a tractor in southwest Delhi’s Pandwalan Khurd area on Friday night, with police yet to arrest the driver who allegedly fled the spot.
The incident took place at about 10.20pm in Chhawla, according to police. The deceased was identified as Banarasi Ram, who lived with his family in the area. Police suspect he was crossing the road when the tractor hit him.
A PCR vehicle passing through the area found the injured man and took him to a nearby hospital, where doctors declared him dead. PCR staff then informed the local police. The tractor has been seized as investigators work to identify and trace the driver.
Police said the vehicle belonged to a person from Ujwa village in Dwarka, according to sources cited in the report. Several teams are attempting to establish who was driving it at the time of the crash.
Investigators are examining the circumstances of the collision, including whether speeding, poor visibility or inadequate lighting contributed to the accident. The available police account does not establish which of these factors caused the crash.
A case has been registered under Section 281 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, concerning rash driving or riding on a public way, and Section 106(1), concerning causing death by negligence. The police investigation is continuing, and the driver’s arrest remains pending.
The death was reported on the same day as another fatal road accident involving an elderly pedestrian in west Delhi. In that incident, a 68-year-old woman was hit by a scooter in Inderpuri while crossing a road around 11am and was subsequently struck by another vehicle. Two people were arrested on Saturday.
The Chhawla case places attention on the risks faced by older pedestrians on roads where lighting, vehicle speeds and crossing conditions are still being examined by investigators. However, the police have not yet released a final finding on the specific cause of the crash or identified the driver publicly. The next formal development will be the police action following the ongoing search and investigation.
