A summary of the news has been compiled. In Premnagar, Dehradun, 18-year-old Kshitij Chaudhary lost his life in a road accident on February 16, 2024. His mother, Lalita Chaudhary, has been seeking justice for two years by personally investigating the case alongside police and government officials. Authorities have promised a reinvestigation based on new evidence, and the case is currently under judicial consideration. Kathmandu, April 19.
Nearly two years have passed since the death of 18-year-old Kshitij Chaudhary in a road accident in Premnagar, Dehradun, India. According to his family, the police have yet to apprehend the suspected driver involved in the incident. Kshitij’s mother, Lalita Chaudhary, who lost her only son, has spent two years navigating police stations and government offices demanding justice. She alleges a lack of seriousness during the initial phase of investigation and began collecting evidence herself after receiving unsatisfactory responses. Recently, she once again brought the issue to the attention of government officials at a public event, leading to a police promise for renewed inquiry.
What happened? On the night of February 16, 2024, at around 2:45 a.m., Kshitij Chaudhary was walking with a friend in the Premnagar area when a speeding dumper truck struck him, and the driver fled the scene. According to Lalita Chaudhary, although Kshitij’s friends called an ambulance immediately, help did not arrive for about 45 minutes. She also accused the police of failing to reach the accident site promptly. Kshitij was eventually transported to Doon Hospital by ambulance, and due to the severity of his injuries, doctors transferred him to AIIMS Rishikesh, where he passed away on the evening of February 17. Two days after the accident, on February 19, Lalita Chaudhary filed a complaint against the unidentified dumper driver at the Premnagar police station. She claims the police failed to register complaints from eyewitnesses promptly. The police reportedly told her to bring concrete evidence. Reflecting on her late son, Lalita says, ‘My son never showed tears in front of me. Our bond was more of friendship than just mother and son.’
She recalls receiving a call from Kshitij at around 3 a.m. that night. ‘When I spoke to him, his voice was different — full of pain. At the hospital, he asked, “Mom, have you come?”’ Lalita believes that if timely support had been provided, her son might have survived. She states, ‘If calls to emergency numbers 100 and 108 had been answered promptly, my son would still be alive today.’ The real struggle began then. ‘When I inquired about case progress, I was told, “If you have evidence, bring it, we don’t have magic wands,”’ she explains. Lalita decided to conduct her own investigation, convinced that no one else would. For months, she spoke to people on the streets, searched for CCTV footage from shops and hotels, and gathered information. ‘I searched daily on the roads for three months,’ she says. She discovered CCTV footage, visited the Regional Transport Office, and collected several vehicle numbers on suspicion. ‘I gave about 10 vehicle numbers to the police,’ she mentions. However, she claims there was little progress in the investigation. ‘I was told the investigation was done, but nothing was found.’ After approximately 18 months, she learned that a ‘final report’ had been filed in the case. Lalita states, ‘It felt like all my efforts were wasted.’ The police submit this ‘final report’ to the court, meaning that in the absence of evidence, the case would be closed.
Case Reaches Farmer’s Union After two and a half years, the case became public again when Lalita Chaudhary attended a protest seeking justice for her son. During this period, she met with Rakesh Tikait, a leader of the Indian Farmers’ Union, and informed him of the incident. Somdatt Sharma, president of the Indian Farmers’ Union Welfare Foundation, said, ‘Our team held talks with Lalita and accompanied her to meet the SSP to present the evidence.’ Despite initially hearing of the final report, Somdatt Sharma stated that after reviewing new evidence, the decision was made to reopen the investigation. ‘It is distressing that a mother has to gather evidence on her own,’ he said. He also warned of future protests if action is not taken: ‘If no action is taken, we will block roads, and Rakesh Tikait will also come here.’
What Does the Police Say? According to Premendra Doval, SSP of Dehradun, although an initial investigation was completed, a fresh review is underway based on new evidence. ‘All available CCTV footage was examined earlier. Relevant police stations have been instructed to reinvestigate based on new information,’ Doval stated. He confirmed that the case is under judicial consideration and permission is being sought for further investigation. He clarified that any negligence found during the inquiry would result in disciplinary action against the responsible officers. Lalita Chaudhary originally hails from Muzaffarnagar, Uttar Pradesh, and has been managing her family alone for several years. Her daughter is currently interning in Delhi. Lalita describes her struggle for her son’s justice as a mother’s duty: ‘What the police should have done, I did.’ Her voice still carries deep pain, ‘My son was talking to me, saying, “Mom, please save me.”’
