The concept of bystanders just standing around and watching something unfold is not exactly a very new one. Public apathy is something that has been talked about often, in Indian contexts too.
Usually, if something is happening on the road, people are more than willing to form a crowd and watch it, as if entertained rather than taking actual steps to help out. This is even more apparent if there has been an accident.
The recent news of a filmmaker from Delhi dying after sustaining injuries in a bike accident where he was said to be lying on the road for 30 minutes before someone actually helped is something to think about.
What Happened With The Filmmaker?
On Saturday, Piyush Pal a 30-year-old filmmaker got into an accident around the Panchsheel Park area in South Delhi.
The accident happened on 28th October 2023 around 9.45 pm as per CCTV footage but according to the police, the PCR call for it was received around 10.11 pm.
Chandan Chowdhary, DCP (South) claimed that as per the CCTV footage Pal’s bike changed lanes and took a left turn without an indicator, and then was hit by a bike from behind. The other bike belonged to Bunty Kumar, 26, a Badarpur resident who is reportedly working as a private driver in Gurugram.
It is said that the Kalkaji resident was lying in a pool of blood for around 30 minutes on the road before some people eventually took him to the hospital.
Pankaj Mistry, a passerby on his bike noticed the crowd gathered around the area and stopped to check. Speaking with The Indian Express he said “I saw a man on the road, bleeding heavily from his head, with his bike a few metres away. No one bothered to help him, call an ambulance or police.”
Read More: QuoraED: Road Accident Victims Share Horror Of Having Bystanders Look And Record Videos, But Not Help
The filmmaker’s bike is seen skidding and dragging on the road for a few meters while the other bike went a little distance and then fell down. Chaudhary stated “A team reached there, where both people were found to be shifted to different hospitals. No eyewitness was found at spot… One injured was found to be shifted to PSRI hospital and another to AIIMS Trauma Centre.”
As per reports, the DCP also said “On Kumar’s statement, a case under Indian Penal Code sections 279 (riding a vehicle in a negligent manner) and 337 (rash driving) was registered on Monday. On Tuesday at around 6 pm, information was received about the death of Pal. The post mortem was conducted on Wednesday and the dead body was handed over to his relatives.”
Pal’s friends along with former colleague Ishani Dutta reportedly claim that onlookers were busy taking photos and videos of the accident and even stole the filmmaker’s laptop, camera, and mobile phone.
Piyush tragically died three days later on Tuesday, 31st October 2023 after sustaining serious injuries. One has to wonder if the public empathy had been a little higher perhaps the young man could have survived.
Sunny Swarnendu Bose, a friend of Pal’s said, “More than the police, if bystanders would have responded quickly instead of taking videos, our friend might have received better medical treatment.”
Image Credits: Google Images
Feature image designed by Saudamini Seth
Sources: The Indian Express, Hindustan Times, The Hindu
Find the blogger: @chirali_08
This post is tagged under: Filmmaker, delhi Filmmaker, Piyush Pal, Piyush Pal filmmaker, Piyush Pal accident, Delhi Filmmaker dies, Delhi Filmmaker accident, piyush pal accident, piyush pal delhi, piyush pal films, delhi, delhi accident, delhi news
Disclaimer: We do not hold any right, copyright over any of the images used, these have been taken from Google. In case of credits or removal, the owner may kindly mail us.
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