JNU bike crash victims still critical after 2 days

NEW DELHI: Two days after a 22-year-old student of Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) died in a bike crash on the campus, his close friend and pillion rider is still critical and undergoing treatment at the AIIMS, police said on Monday.

Police said the deceased student's father, who lives in Bihar's Gaya, went into shock after hearing the news about his death and was admitted to a hospital . The accident occurred around 2.30 am on Saturday when Anshu Kumar and his 23-year-old friend Vishal Kumar rammed their KTM motorcycle into two other students crossing the road near Godavari Hostel on the campus.

Anshu, hurt critically in the head, died, while Vishal was sent to hospital. The pedestrians were identified as Sachin Sharma, 25, and Mrigank Yadav, 24 – both students of MA Political Science in JNU. They are also under treatment at the AIIMS.

According to police, a preliminary investigation has suggested that Anshu was speeding and was not wearing a helmet when the accident took place. Anshu was a native of Bihar's Gaya and was staying in the campus's Sutlej Hostel. He was pursuing BA in Russian Language from JNU. A friend of Anshu said such an accident was never heard of on campus.

"All students are shocked by the incident," he told PTI. "Anshu had brought this motorcycle from his hometown. He often took it out for a ride on campus without wearing a helmet. But we never heard of him speeding," said the person, who did not wish to be named.

On Sunday, Anshu's mother and other family members came and took his body back to Gaya, where his last rites took place. Police said Vishal is still under critical condition and is in ICU at the AIIMS. "He is an ex-student of JNU but would often come to meet Anshu. Vishal is presently doing a job somewhere," said his friend. Anshu was an active supporter of the RSS-backed Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad. On Monday, the ABVP organised a march in his memory.