Police Arrest Accused in Hit-and-Run Case Which Killed Zepto Delivery Executive

A police team tracked down the accused using "a broken part of bumper of offending vehicle."

On Monday, 23 May, Delhi Police arrested a man accused in a hit-and-run case in which a delivery executive working with Zepto, a start-up that promises delivery of groceries in under 10 minutes, was killed.

Police believe that Sudhakar Yadav, the accused, was driving a Tata Nexon in Dwarka on Thursday night when he slammed into Karan Raju's electric scooter from behind.

Raju was rushed to DDU hospital and then referred to Safdarjung Hospital where he succumbed to his injuries. Zepto has announced Rs 10 lakh as compensation and an insurance grant of Rs 8 lakh for his family.

In the absence of CCTV footage and "technical clues," a team from the Dwarka South police station purportedly tracked down the accused using "a broken part of bumper of offending vehicle."

"The team of PS Dwarka South visited each and every spare part dealer and workshop in South West Delhi and worked out the case with sheer hardwork and dedication after working painstakingly for four days," police said in a statement.

A case has been registered under sections 279 (rash driving) and 304A (causing death by negligence) of the Indian Penal Code.

Raju Took the Job To Save Up for Sister’s Wedding

Karan Raju, 20, was a resident of Goyla Dairy and had joined Zepto as a delivery agent two months ago to lend financial support to the family and save some money to buy a gift for his sister’s wedding, The Indian Express reported.

“I work at a golf club in Gurgaon and earn very less. He wanted to support me financially, and now he has left us,” his father told the publication.

“Karan would usually go with his friends for deliveries but that day he went alone as the location was near our home. Later, I received a call from his friend saying Karan had met with an accident. When I rushed to the spot, I saw my son lying near the railing. He was hit so hard that his scooter was broken."

Karan Raju's father to The Indian Express

Zepto released a statement on Thursday, saying the company was "deeply aggrieved by the death of Karan Raju."

"The team members from Zepto and Zypp have been with the family since the night of the accident, supporting and ensuring that they bear no pressure from the process or expenses (hospital bills, funeral bills, etc)," the statement read.

(With inputs from The Indian Express.)