Assam woman dies after DTC bus hits bike taxi; rider bedridden again after 3 years

Hrishita Lahon, a 22-year-old English literature graduate from Assam, died after the Uber bike taxi she was travelling on was allegedly hit by a DTC bus near Delhi’s Ashram flyover.

It was 9.40 am on a Monday when Darab Singh (33) accepted a bike taxi ride from Sheikh Sarai to Noida. He had returned to the app-based rides business only in January, after spending more than three years bedridden with a severe chest infection.

“I used to ride cabs till 2023. But then I fell sick and couldn’t work for over three years,” said Darab, a Faridabad resident and father of two.

He reached the pick-up point and met his passenger, 22-year-old Hrishita Lahon, an English literature graduate from Assam who lived in South Delhi’s Panchsheel Park.

The ride would prove fatal for Hrishita.

As they reached the Ashram flyover, on the concrete approach to the DND Flyway towards Noida, Darab noticed a bus behind them.

“It was a sky-blue coloured bus. It hit us from behind. Both our helmets broke… The next thing I remember is that a woman came to help us and we were taken to the hospital,” he said.

The two were taken to Jeewan Hospital. Hrishita was later shifted to Indraprastha Apollo Hospital in Sarita Vihar, where she died during treatment around 2 pm.

Police said Hrishita was travelling towards Noida on the Uber bike taxi around 10 am when the DTC bus allegedly hit the motorcycle. A senior officer said there were no CCTV cameras at the Ashram flyover.

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Police received information about the accident through the medico-legal case (MLC) report at 12.58 pm. An investigating officer went to Jeewan Hospital and obtained Hrishita’s MLC.

“Lahon was found to be in a serious condition and had been shifted to the Indraprastha Apollo Hospital. However, before the investigating officer could reach the hospital, she was declared dead,” the officer said.

“As her condition was critical and she was subsequently shifted between hospitals, police could not record her statement. Investigators also searched for eyewitnesses at the hospital but could not trace any,” the officer added.

Darab’s MLC also recorded injuries from the accident. He had already left Jeewan Hospital after receiving treatment when the police arrived.

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For Darab, life has come a full circle. He is again bedridden and unable to work.

“I have injuries on my hands, knee and leg. I don’t know when I will be able to walk again,” he said.