Delhi schoolgirl dies after e-rickshaw overturns; driver arrested

NEW DELHI: A 34-year-old e-rickshaw driver has been arrested in connection with the death of an eight-year-old schoolgirl after his vehicle overturned in Delhi's Jafrabad area, an official said on Saturday. The incident occurred around 7.30 am on Wednesday when an e-rickshaw collided with a motorcycle and subsequently overturned. The victim was a third-grade student at a private school, the police said.

"The Jafrabad Police Station received information from the Guru Tegh Bahadur (GTB) Hospital regarding a schoolgirl who was declared dead," a senior police officer said. The accused, identified as Shahnwaz, a resident of Babarpur, was traced through CCTV footage and local intelligence. Police said the e-rickshaw allegedly involved in the accident has also been recovered.

The case was registered under Sections 281 (rash driving) and 106(1) (causing death by negligence) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita at the Jafrabad Police Station after the schoolgirl sustained severe injuries and was declared dead at the GTB Hospital by doctors. "During the probe, police reviewed multiple CCTV footage and gathered intelligence from the area to identify the culprit.

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Accused arrested after incident

Their efforts led to the arrest of the accused, who had been absconding since the incident," a senior police officer said. He added that upon arrival at the hospital, the girl's father, a resident of the Maujpur area, reported that his wife was taking their daughter to school in Shahdara.

While en route, they took an e-rickshaw, which overturned before reaching Maujpur Chowk, resulting in injuries to the girl. Shahnwaz will be further interrogated to establish the sequence of events leading to the accident. The e-rickshaw has been seized as part of the evidence, the police said, adding that further investigation is underway.