New Delhi – Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader and Delhi unit president Saurabh Bharadwaj was detained by Delhi Police on Sunday, February 8, 2026, while leading a protest in Janakpuri, West Delhi, near the site where a 25-year-old biker, Kamal Dhyani, died after falling into an open pit. Bharadwaj, along with several AAP workers, was demonstrating to demand justice for Dhyani, who died on Thursday after his motorcycle plunged into an unmarked pit.
The AAP stated that Bharadwaj and other leaders gathered in Janakpuri to pay tribute to Dhyani by lighting candles. However, police erected barricades and detained the protesters. Bharadwaj conveyed his dismay on X, questioning the police action against what he described as a peaceful tribute. He stated, "Today we had come to Janakpuri to pay tribute to Kamal Dhyaani who was killed there. The police has put up barricades everywhere today. We said no sloganeering is happening, we will just light candles and leave. Is even this much now a crime?".
Bharadwaj also made political allegations, claiming the BJP government had stolen the election through deceit and fraud exactly one year ago, which Delhi is commemorating. He demanded justice for Dhyani and criticized the Delhi Police Commissioner and Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta. While being detained, Bharadwaj accused authorities of suppressing dissent, "You can see the level of dictatorship. No one lodged a complaint, even when the parents of Kamal Dhyani went to six police stations. The police are detaining us when we have all gathered to pay tribute to him,".
Kamal Dhyani, a private bank employee, was returning home when he fell into a 15-foot-deep pit dug by the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) for sewer pipeline restoration. The pit was reportedly left uncovered and unmarked, lacking barricades, warning signs, or security.
The incident occurred around 12:15 am on Friday. Dhyani's body remained in the pit for nearly eight hours. A passerby noticed the accident and alerted a security guard, who then informed Yogesh, a laborer working on the pit. Yogesh saw the motorcycle and Dhyani but did not offer help.
Police arrested Rajesh Kumar Prajapati, a sub-contractor, on Saturday for culpable homicide not amounting to murder. Prajapati was aware of the incident but did not take action. Delhi Urban Development Minister Ashish Sood suspended DJB officials suspected of negligence. FIRs have been registered against the DJB and the contractor.
The police are searching for Yogesh, who is suspected to have fled to his hometown. The location of the pit was near B3B Block, Janakpuri, close to Andhra School on Professor Jogender Singh Marg. The pit measured approximately 20 feet long, 13 feet wide, and 14 feet deep. Dhyani was declared dead at Deen Dayal Upadhyay Hospital.