FIR filed in 2021 case of death during argument in Delhi

A year-and-a-half after Amar Pal Singh, 60, a retired Indian Army officer, died after a heart attack during an argument with a cab driver over the fare, a first information report was registered following a court directive at North Avenue police station on Thursday.

Singh was travelling with his wife Mithlesh, 55, to New Delhi railway station from their Dabri residence on December 15, 2021, said police officers familiar with the matter. The couple’s daughter booked the cab, said a police officer, who asked not to be named.

According to Mithlesh’s account, at 10.30 pm, the cab driver, Suresh Ram, halted the vehicle near Ram Manohar Lohia (RML) hospital and refused to continue to their destination, claiming his vehicle had broken down. He demanded the fare — ₹259 — and suggested they find alternate transport to the station, according to Mithlesh. But the couple refused to pay because they weren’t at their destination.

“Mithlesh said that the driver wrongfully confined them in the car and threatened them with harm if they tried to exit without paying. When Singh was speaking on the phone with their daughter, explaining the situation, the cab driver snatched his phone,” the officer said, quoting the complaint.

While attempting to reclaim the phone, Singh began to experience severe breathing difficulty and chest pains, according to Mithlesh.

She quickly arranged an auto-rickshaw to rush him to RML hospital, where he was pronounced dead upon arrival. Mithlesh said that Ram only allowed them to leave after receiving his fare and made no effort to assist them or take them to a hospital, promptly fleeing the scene.

A second police officer said that the police initially received a complaint and questioned Ram, but didn’t file a case, as no physical altercation had occurred and Ram was reportedly unaware of Singh’s health issues; however, his details were recorded for future reference.

With the court-ordered registration of a case under Indian Penal Code sections 384, 342, and 506, concerning extortion, wrongful confinement, and criminal intimidation, Ram will be served a notice to participate in the investigation, said the second officer.