A devastating accident on the Yamuna Expressway in Mathura on Friday night resulted in the deaths of six members of a single family, including a father, his two sons, and two nephews, when the driver of their Eeco car reportedly fell asleep at the wheel. The incident occurred near Sarai Salwahan village (Mile Stone 140) around 3:30 AM. While six perished, the father's wife and daughter are in critical condition.
The family, residents of Bah police station area in Agra, was en route to Bateshwar Mela to conduct an Akhand Ramayana recitation and a community feast (bhandara). The deceased have been identified as Dharmveer, his sons Rohit and Aryan, nephews Paras alias Parth and Dalveer, and Rohit’s friend Dushyant.
Dharmveer's wife, Soni, and daughter, Payal, are receiving critical care. District Magistrate and Senior Superintendent of Police, Shlok Kumar, promptly arrived at the scene.
Dharmveer's brother, Rakesh, shared that Dharmveer had been organizing a bhandara at the Bateshwar Mela every second Monday of Shravan for the past eight years. The family was traveling in the Eeco car to participate in this annual event, with the Akhand Ramayana recitation planned for Sunday and the bhandara for Monday.
The accident cut short their journey. Dharmveer, the third of four brothers, had asked his younger brother in the village to bring supplies to Bateshwar. Dushyant, Rohit's friend who worked as an accountant at a nearby polythene factory, was accompanying the family to the bhandara.
The sight of their young sons' bodies devastated the family. Vishwanath, father of Parth and Dalveer, was in shock upon seeing his sons at the post-mortem house. Dharmveer, who operated a sweet shop and catering service named Maa Bhagwati Sweet Center & Caterers in Samaypur Badli, Delhi, tragically lost both his sons. Only his wife, Soni, and daughter, Payal, survived, albeit with severe injuries.
Further adding to the tragedy, Rohit, Dharmveer's son, was set to be married on November 30. His engagement had taken place just a few months prior, and the family was preparing for the wedding, including ordering jewelry. The news of Rohit's death brought immense sorrow to his fiancée's family as well. Rohit, despite having completed a hotel management course, had joined his father's catering business. His sister, Payal, had just passed her intermediate exams this year.
