'Who will pay rent, car loan, provide for 5 kids': Family of Delhi cab driver murdered by robbers
New Delhi (PTI): Bijender Shah, the taxi driver from Bihar who was dragged to death under the wheels of his own vehicle while resisting a robbery bid, was the sole breadwinner of the family and wanted to see his daughter become a civil servant.
He leaves behind his wife, their five children and some questions nobody has currently got answers to: who will pay the house rent, the car loan and provide for the family!
He had taken a loan to buy the car in March and ran it as a cab on hire
to earn a livelihood. But the robbers on Tuesday snatched his car -- and the family's only earning member.
The 43-year-old met a horrific death after being dragged under the rear wheels of his own vehicle for 300 metres while resisting the carjacking attempt on a busy road in southwest Delhi's Vasant Kunj area, police said on Wednesday.
Waiting outside the Safdarjung Hospital mortuary on Wednesday, as they mourned Bijender Shah's relatives and friends were also worried about his family.
"He was the sole breadwinner for his family," said Nagendra Shah, the younger brother of the deceased. "They live in a rented accommodation. Who will bear their expenses -- rent and daily expenses for livelihood?"
Nagendra Shah said his brother lived in Haryana's Faridabad with his family. "He bought the new car on a loan for driving it as a cab on hire. On Wednesday around 2 pm, he called his family members informing that he got a passenger. Around 7 pm, his wife called him and asked money for buying vegetables. He sent the money online," said Nagendra Shah, the younger brother of the deceased.
Three of his children study here and two daughters live in Motihari district in Bihar.
"We want the accused be arrested as soon as possible. The family members should get compensation so that they can survive and his daughter can become what his father wanted," Nagendra said.
Bijender Shah's eldest daughter is pursuing History (Honours) from Deshbandhu College of the Delhi University.
The victim's 12-year-old son Aakash said that police informed his uncle in Bihar about the incident who subsequently broke the terrible news to them.
"The police called my uncle Ranjeet who lives in Bihar and informed him about the incident who later called us around 2 am and asked about the whereabouts of my father? I told him that he was away at work. Then my uncle asked us to go to the police station with a photo of my father. When we reached there, we were informed about the incident," Aakash said.
He recalled his father had started driving a cab in 2012.
Vinod Paswan, a neighbour of the victim, said they used to stay together in late 90s.
"We used to stay together in central Delhi and drive auto-rickshaw. Before that in 1996, drove rickshaw for around two years. Shah had struggled a lot during his initial days in the city. His daughter is very intelligent and currently studying in Deshbandhu College. She is also preparing for the UPSC examination and the whole family wanted her to become a civil servant," Paswan said.
The Delhi Police said it received a call about a man's body lying near the NH-8 service road in Vasant Kunj North at 11.30 pm. It is suspected that the victim was attacked during a robbery bid, but the police are trying to piece together the sequence of events, officials said.
Paswan also said that Bijender shifted to Surya Colony, Sehatpur, Faridabad, Haryana around two years ago. Earlier, he used to stay with them near Akshardham in east Delhi.
Paswan said ]he got a call this morning from the victim's family regarding the incident and rushed to Safdarjung Hospital.
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Bhopal: The Madhya Pradesh High Court on Thursday expressed strong dissatisfaction with the FIR registered by the state police against BJP Minister Kunwar Vijay Shah over his controversial remarks against Colonel Sofiya Qureshi, calling it deficient in crucial legal elements. The court has now decided to monitor the police investigation to ensure it proceeds fairly and without external influence.
A division bench of Justices Atul Sreedharan and Anuradha Shukla noted that the FIR lacked any substantive mention of the suspect’s actions that would establish the offences under the relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), specifically Sections 152, 196(1)(b), and 197(1)(c). These provisions relate to acts endangering national sovereignty, disturbing communal harmony, and threatening national integration.
The court observed that Paragraph 12 of the FIR merely reproduced the court's previous order without laying down how the minister's comments constituted the registered offences. “The FIR has been registered in such a manner... so that if it is challenged under erstwhile Section 482 CrPC, the same may be quashed as it is deficient in material particulars,” the bench remarked.
To prevent what it called a "subterfuge", the court directed that its full order dated May 14 be treated as part of the FIR. The court stated it would now monitor the investigation to ensure it is conducted lawfully and impartially.
The controversy stems from Vijay Shah’s statement, where he appeared to link Col. Qureshi, a senior officer of the Indian Armed Forces, to terrorists by referring to her as their “sister”. His comments were made in the context of Operation Sindoor, a military operation against Pakistani terror targets, during which Col. Qureshi had served as a spokesperson.
“Jinhone humari betiyon ke sindoor ujade the… humne unhiki behen bhej kar ke unki aisi ki taisi karwayi,” Shah had said, a remark the court found to be not only disparaging but dangerous and communal.
The High Court had earlier called the minister's language “gutter-level” and condemned his innuendos against a decorated military officer, stating that such remarks “encourage feelings of separatist activities by imputing separatist feeling to anyone who is Muslim, thereby endangering the sovereignty or unity and integrity of India.”
Following the High Court’s stern direction, Shah issued a public apology on social media, calling Col. Sofiya Qureshi “the nation’s sister.” The state government also posted on its official handle that it was taking appropriate action in compliance with the court’s order.
However, the court made it clear that it was not satisfied with the FIR's content and expressed concern that it was framed in a way that could undermine its legal sustainability.
Meanwhile, Vijay Shah has approached the Supreme Court challenging the Madhya Pradesh High Court’s suo motu direction for registering an FIR against him.
Colonel Sofiya Qureshi had become a prominent face of the Indian Armed Forces during Operation Sindoor, regularly briefing the media on military actions against terror camps in Pakistan. Her professionalism and presence made her a symbol of national service and unity, leading to outrage after Shah’s disparaging remark.
The High Court has listed the matter for further hearing immediately after the court vacation. The bench emphasized that its monitoring would not interfere with the autonomy of the investigating agency, but would ensure justice is not subverted by procedural lapses or political pressure.
