Ghaziabad Man Begged For Help For 40 Minutes, Bled To Death Outside Police Booth

A 22-year-old man bled to death outside a pink police booth in Ghaziabad, in what appears to be an incident of shocking police apathy not far from the national capital.Raj Kumar, who worked as a mechanic, had injured himself while banging on the door of the police booth in Bapudham last Sunday and died after begging for help for about 40 minutes.The policewomen stationed at the pink booth got scared and locked themselves inside, said eyewitnesses. The women police were there but did not come forward to help, his mother alleged.What Happened Last SundayKumar and others arrived at the pink booth in an autorickshaw on Sunday after he allegedly had a fare dispute with the driver. According to Kumar's mother, the dispute was over just Rs 20.Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Upasana Pandey said both Kumar and the auto's driver were drunk at that time."A dispute broke out between them over the payment of fare, following which both reached the Pink Booth. While drunk, the passenger (Kumar) banged the gate of the pink booth, causing the glass to shatter and severely injuring his hand," she said.The victim was immediately taken to the hospital for treatment, where he died during treatment, ACP Pandey added.Eyewitness AccountsEyewitnesses suggest the women personnel at the booth had advised Raj Kumar and others to approach a nearby police station that had men personnel.But Kumar started banging on the iron door of the police booth. The policewomen got scared and locked themselves inside the booth, the witnesses said. Kumar then turned to the glass door and banged it, causing it to shatter. This inflicted a deep cut on his hand, and he collapsed due to intense bleeding, they added.A local shopkeeper dialled the police helpline, after which two personnel arrived on a motorcycle. However, no autorickshaw stopped to take the injured to the hospital, the eyewitnesses said. Eventually, an ambulance arrived after nearly half an hour, and he could be taken to a medical facility. According to the FIR, there was at least an hour's delay in taking him to the hospital.Kumar's Family Demands JusticeOver 72 hours since Kumar's death, no arrest has been made in the case. However, at his home, his eight-month-pregnant wife hopes to get justice for her dead husband.Gudiya Devi said her husband had left home for work at 9 am on July 12. Originally from Bihar's Siwan district, Kumar worked as a car mechanic in Ghaziabad. He never returned.Kumar's mother alleged that no assistance was provided while her son lay bleeding on the road. She has demanded strict action against those responsible.He is also survived by a father who has been in a coma for two years and a mentally challenged brother.