Delhi: AAP candidate from Seemapuri hit by car, battles for life

New Delhi: Santosh Koli, AAP activist and candidate from Seemapuri constituency was critically injured when a car hit her bike in front of the Kaushambi metro station, Ghaziabad. The incident happened around 3:30 pm on Sunday when she was on her way to office.

Kuldeep Kanwar, an AAP volunteer from Seemapuri who was driving the motorcycle had suffered minor injuries, said, "The car hit us from behind and immediately sped away... Our bike skid, fell and caught fire."

The passersby had brought Santosh and Kuldeep to the Yashodhara Super Speciality Hospital. Santosh has undergone a surgery and was now on life support.

Santosh Koli has been with Arvind Kejriwal for over a decade and is one of his most trusted aides. In fact, her house was the venue of Kejriwal's 16-day long fast against high electricity and water bills in March this year.

She is a recognized activist in Seemapuri, particularly remembered for her work towards making the Public Distribution System accountable. She was very active during the Janlokpal agitation and when the movement split, she favoured the political option and stayed with Kejriwal.

Kalawati, Santosh's mother said, "There have been four attacks on her life before." The next 70 hours would be critical for Santosh.

An FIR has been lodged in the Link Road police station including section 307 which implies attempt to murder. Sparking suspicions of a deliberate attempt to murder, Kumar Vishwas alleged, "Santosh had told me that she had received threats from the supporters of Veer Singh Dhingan, the local Congress MLA."

When asked whether this was an unfortunate accident or a deliberate attempt to murder, SS Yadav, SP Gaziabad City said, "We are investigating with an open mind... It could be an accident or it could be a deliberate attempt to murder." Yadav also said that the police would be looking at the CCTV footage and speak to the onlookers who happened to be at the site of the incident.