Following the death of 23-year-old Mohammed Rizwan, a Hyderabad food delivery executive who fell from a building in a bid to avoid a dog attack, the Banjara Hills police have filed a case under Section 304 A (causing death by negligence) against Shobana, the owner of the dog. Speaking to TNM, Banjara Hills Inspector M Narender said, “Earlier we had filed a case under Section 336 (act endangering life or personal safety of others) following Rizwan’s death, now we have changed it to 304 A (causing death by negligence).”
Rizwan, a Swiggy food delivery agent, died on Saturday, January 14 at around 7 pm, police said. He had sustained critical injuries and was availing treatment at the Nizam’s Institute of Medical Sciences Hospital.
Alleging indifference from Swiggy, Telangana Gig and Platform Workers Union (TGPWU) president Shaik Salauddin told TNM, “Swiggy has neither reached out to us nor acknowledged his death yet.”
TGPWU has demanded compensation as per the Workmen Compensation Act. According to TGPWU, both the pet owner, Shobana, and Swiggy should provide nearly Rs 22 lakh as compensation for the death.
We @TGPWU demand The Workmen Compensation Act stipulates amount of compensation as 40% of wage multiplied by the relevant age factor, which according to @Swiggy and Pet Owner Both claims of Rs.25000 per month earnings will be Rs. 21,99,500
— Telangana Gig and Platform Workers Union (@TGPWU) January 15, 2023
See: https://t.co/TiTR8BoVQK… https://t.co/eGGZj5YOA2 pic.twitter.com/xuWegv6gSi
Rizwan’s relatives also had alleged that the pet owner remained elusive and did not even pay Rizwan’s medical bills.
The 23-year-old fell off the third floor of an apartment building in the city’s Banjara Hills on Wednesday, January 11 when he went to deliver food to a customer. The customer's pet dog, a German Shepherd, which was not on a leash, barked and charged at him when he knocked on the door. Frantically trying to avoid the dog, Rizwan jumped over the fence holding the railing. However, his hands slipped and he fell off the building. The incident took place at Lumbini Rock Castle apartment, Banjara Hills Road number 6.
In the wake of Rizwan’s unfortunate death, TGPWU had appealed to customers to ensure that their pets are leashed when they are expecting a delivery.