New Delhi:
An argument between two wings of the Delhi Police over jurisdiction on Friday left the body of an unidentified man, who died after an accident, lie unattended on road for around 14 hours.
In what could be perceived as callousness on part of authorities, locals claimed that the body was not even covered with a cloth as is the practice in dealing with such situations.
The incident took place near a rail underbridge in Vishwakarma Nagar near Jhilmil, where personnel of Vivek Vihar Police Station and Railway Wing fought over jurisdiction, not taking the body to hospital.
The drama began at around midnight when locals saw the man lying on the road who was apparently hit by a train.
The body appeared fallen from the tracks to the road.
Locals gathered at the spot and informed police, which allegedly reached three hours later.
Local Councillor Jitender Singh Shanti claimed that the police told the locals that they found blood on the bridge stones, and since it was a rail accident, it did not come under their jurisdiction.
At around 7 am, Shanti claimed, personnel from Delhi Police's railway wing reached the spot but they claimed it did not come under their jurisdiction as the body was found on the road.
Next four-five hours, locals alleged, both local police and railway wing fought over jurisdiction, leaving the body unattended.
Around 12 noon, Shanti announced that he was taking the body to hospital and he called for an ambulance when police intervened, and after arguments and discussions for another two hours decided to shift the body to a hospital.
The body was shifted to hospital by the railway wing of Delhi Police.
When contacted, a senior official with the railway wing admitted that there was a fight over jurisdiction but refuted the locals' claim that the body was taken to hospital at 2 pm.
He claimed the body was shifted around 11 am.
"There was a fight over jurisdiction. I came to know about the incident at around 10 am and then I told the officials to shift the body. We will decide on the jurisdiction issue later," he said.