An auto-rickshaw driver was charred to death after his three-wheeler allegedly exploded on the Delhi–Jaipur expressway near Rajiv Chowk early Tuesday, police said, adding the vehicle was moving at the time of the incident.
The incident took place between 1.15am and 1.40am when the three-wheeler, registered with the Gurugram regional transport authority, was travelling towards Jaipur. Commuters alerted the police control room and helped rescue the critically injured driver, who was taken to a private hospital in Sector 5. Firefighters reached the spot and doused the flames within 30 minutes. No passengers were inside the vehicle at the time.
Police said the driver suffered over 70% burn injuries and died during treatment within hours. Sandeep Turan, public relations officer of Gurugram police, said the identity of the deceased is yet to be confirmed. “In the course of investigation, it surfaced that the CNG cylinder was missing from the charred auto rickshaw, giving rise to suspicion that a sudden explosion originating from it resulted in the inferno, giving no chance to the driver to escape,” he said.
Investigators said transport department records show the registered owner is from Noida, but he claimed to have sold the vehicle in 2019. The auto allegedly changed hands nearly nine times without transfer of ownership.
Officials said efforts are underway to trace a person whose photograph and contact number, issued by Gurugram police during verification, were found pasted on the rear of the vehicle to help ascertain the deceased’s identity.