GURGAON: Two days after 34-year-old Sarthak Mattoo was allegedly killed in a hit-and-run on the Delhi-Gurgaon Expressway, his grieving father has made an emotional appeal for justice, alleging that the occupants of the Thar SUV abandoned his son on the road instead of helping him after the crash.“They left my son lying on the road. The least they could have done was take him to the hospital,” Surender Mattoo said.According to Surender, Sarthak had left his Gurgaon home early on June 25 for an office assignment in Noida.He was riding his motorcycle and wearing a helmet when, he alleged, a Thar bearing a Karnataka registration number rammed into him from behind near the Rajokri flyover.“A Thar came up from behind and hit my son. After the collision, the vehicle ran over him and left him lying on the road. They just left him there,” he said.The family got to know about the accident through one of Sarthak’s office colleagues after a passerby found his phone, noticed the last call was from his workplace and informed them.“A kind passerby had witnessed the accident. He even sent the location where he saw the Thar. He picked up Sarthak’s phone, saw the last call was from his office and informed his colleague. He then called the PCR,” Surender said.By the time the family reached the Indian Spinal Injuries Centre, Sarthak had succumbed to his injuries.Calling the incident more than just a road accident, Surender demanded strict action against those responsible.“It is his birthday today. He would have turned 34 today,” his father said, struggling to hold back tears. This was not merely a collision or an accident. It was a hit-and-run, a deliberate act of killing a young man under the wheels of a Thar bearing a Karnataka registration number. Arrest my son’s killers. Have them hanged. They should be put behind bars,” he said.He also appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union home minister Amit Shah, Delhi chief minister Rekha Gupta and the Delhi Police Commissioner to ensure justice.“Please help us. Where can common people like us go? We are taxpayers. There is no one to listen to us. I simply request that you ensure I get justice,” he said.Surender also questioned the investigation, alleging that police sent the family for Sarthak’s blood test nearly 50 hours after the incident.“After 50 hours, what traces of alcohol could be found in that blood?” he asked.According to police, Sarthak, a resident of DLF-4 who worked with an event management company, was riding towards Noida when the Thar allegedly made a sudden lane change, causing him to collide with the vehicle before being run over. The SUV driver fled the scene immediately.Police have registered a case and formed multiple teams to trace the accused.
