Capital rage: Airline pilot crushes man in Khan Market (Night Lead)

NEW DELHI - A slight collision between their cars and a heated argument led a Jet Airways pilot to crush the other driver under the wheels of his vehicle in the upscale Khan Market in south Delhi Tuesday afternoon when thousands of shoppers were present.

The incident took place outside Axis Bank in Khan Market at 1.50 p.m., police said.

Rajiv Jolly, manager of the Amici restaurant in Khan Market, was driving a Hyundai which slightly grazed a Ford Ikon being driven by Vikas Agarwal, a pilot with Jet Airways.

According to witnesses, Jolly was driving out of the market and Agarwal was entering the market when the latter’s car grazed his Hyundai.

An angry Jolly alighted and entered into an argument with Agarwal. He grabbed Agarwal’s collar while he was still seated inside the car and slapped him.

Agarwal tried to escape but Jolly hung on to the car’s window. The pilot continued to move ahead and Jolly came under the wheels and was crushed to death, according to a police officer.

Police had earlier said that Agarwal ran over Jolly four times while trying to reverse in his bid to escape.

A police team arrived on the spot and apprehended Agarwal. Jolly was rushed to Ram Manohar Lohia hospital where he was pronounced dead.

“Vikas Agarwal, a resident of Patparganj in east Delhi, works as a pilot in Jet Airways. A case of death due to rash and negligent driving has been registered against him,” the police officer investigating the case told IANS.

“We are still investigating the matter and have taken down the statement of the accused,” he said.

Khan Market is one of the oldest and most fashionable markets in the capital, with lots of high-end shops and restaurants, and frequented by lot of foreigners every day. It is said to have be the most expensive commercial real estate in the city.

With a bright sun coming out in the city after days of cloudy and bitterly cold weather, the market was thronged by shoppers and packed with cars.

–Indo-Asian New Service