Two days after a 30-year-old IIT PhD student died after being hit by a four-wheeler outside the main gate of the campus, the condition of his friend, who was severely injured in the accident, remained serious. The duo was returning to the campus after dinner when the incident took place on Tuesday.
Ankur Shukla (29) has sustained a leg fracture and head injuries. His father, Shiv Kumar Shukla (68), told The Indian Express that his son continues to be in the intensive care unit at Max Hospital in Saket and that he hopes that the doctors give him a positive response. He said, “When we heard about the incident, my nephew and I rushed from Kanpur to Delhi. I don’t know how the incident happened or who was the driver. All I know is that my son is battling for his life at the moment. Doctors have carried out an operation and are observing his condition.”
Shukla said Ankur, his only son, runs the family back in Kanpur. “Ankur receives a stipend for his scholarship and sends a chunk of the money to us. His batchmates are helping us by donating blood for him,” he added.
The father said that he hopes that the accused is brought to justice. “I can imagine the pain Ashraf’s (the deceased) family must be going through losing their son. I hope my son gains consciousness soon,” Shukla said.
Meanwhile, a senior police officer said the driver, Arihant Sherawat (31) who is a resident of Mahipalpur, told the investigators that the duo suddenly came in front of his car and he could not see them. “We have taken his blood sample and sent it for a toxicology test,” an officer said.
Ashraf Nawaz Khan, a native of Bihar’s Siwan and Ankur’s PhD batchmate, succumbed to his injuries early on Wednesday. At 11.15 pm on Tuesday, both were returning from SDA market, opposite the campus’ gate number 1, when a car coming from Nehru Place hit them. Police suspect the duo might have jumped over the road grilles as the subway, barely 15 metres from the spot, was shut after 10 pm.
Police said they have traced the co-passenger and that he is cooperating with the probe. An officer said, “At first, they thought that they had hit an animal, soon they realised they might have hit a person and fled after leaving the car at the spot.”