Alleged negligence by the Municipal Corporation has claimed another innocent life. On Wednesday morning, a 55-year-old rickshaw driver died after crashing through a wall and falling into an open drain along the Ring Road. The victim lay in the drain for a considerable time in the biting cold before being retrieved by the police.
The Incident
The victim has been identified as Lakkhan Kashyap, a resident of Simant Nagar on Kanchana Bihari Marg. He worked as a driver for a private school near his home.
Time and Location: The incident occurred at approximately 6:09 am near Lavkush Marble on Ring Road.
Sequence of Events: Lakkhan had left his home to report for duty at the school. According to reports, his rickshaw crashed through a boundary wall in front of a complex, causing both the vehicle and the driver to plummet into the open drain.
Rescue: Passers-by eventually noticed the accident and informed the police. The Gudamba police arrived at the scene and, after significant effort, pulled Lakkhan out. He was rushed to the Gudamba Community Health Centre in an unconscious state, where doctors pronounced him dead.
Investigation And Viral Video
Gudamba Inspector Prabhatesh Kumar Srivastava stated that no written complaint has been received from the family as of now. The police are investigating the matter using CCTV footage from the vicinity.
CCTV Evidence: A video of the incident circulating on social media shows the rickshaw colliding with the complex wall at high speed before falling into the drain. It was noted that the area was very dark at the time.
Cause of Accident: While some locals claimed the rickshaw might have been hit by an unknown vehicle, police have denied a collision based on the initial footage.
Public Outcry Over Civic Negligence
Local residents gathered at the spot and staged a protest, accusing officials posted in Zone-Seven of the Municipal Corporation of gross negligence.
Ignored Warnings: Residents claimed that demands to cover the open drain had been raised multiple times, but officials failed to take the matter seriously. They argued that had the drain been covered, the fatal outcome might have been avoided.
A Pattern Of Tragedies
This is not an isolated incident; several deaths have been reported in the city recently due to open drains:
July 13, 2025: Labourer Suresh Lodhi died after being swept away in a drain near Manju Tandon Dhal in Thakurganj.
August 2, 2025: A school child fell into an open drain in Kundri Rakabganj but was fortunately rescued by locals.
September 17, 2025: Seven-year-old Veer died after falling into the Haider Canal.