Sameer Hussain Saifi, a 24-year-old Delhi delivery agent, died on October 20 after a dispute over a torn Rs 10 note. He recorded a video before his death, saying, “When he was beating me in front of so many people, they could have said something, helped me.” He faced assault.
A 24-year-old Flipkart Minutes delivery worker died after consuming pesticide, days after a dispute with a customer over a torn Rs 10 note escalated into an assault.
Before his death, the delivery worker recorded a video recounting the incident, alleging that he was assaulted in public while bystanders watched without intervening. He also questioned the police's inaction and warned that he would consume poison if his complaint went unheard.
The deceased, identified as Sameer Hussain Saifi, worked as a delivery agent in Delhi’s Kalyanpuri, died on October 20 after spending 16 days in hospital.
In his last video, he spoke about being slapped during the dispute, his frustration over what he described as a lack of police action and the humiliation of being mistreated while trying to earn a living.
Recounting the incident in his video, Sameer said he had gone to deliver a Flipkart Minutes order at around 11.30 pm on October 4 when a dispute broke out over a torn Rs 10 note among the money he received from the customer.
Sameer said he asked the customer to replace the note, but the request was met with rude behaviour and threats of violence, with the argument eventually escalating into an assault.
“I only asked him to replace the torn note, but he misbehaved and told me to take it or leave it,” Sameer said in the video, his voice trembling as he recalled the exchange.
After the argument escalated, the customer slapped the delivery worker three times and made references to his political connections, the delivery worker recounted in the video.
Sameer said he was particularly hurt when the customer made remarks about his middle-class background, despite his efforts to work hard and earn a living.
“That's the only thing I felt bad about in life. That I am working hard. I am doing good work. People think of me as poor,” he said.
“When he was beating me in front of so many people, they could have said something, helped me. None of them said anything. He just slapped me. That slap hit me right in the heart,” he added.
Sameer also spoke about the challenges of his job, saying he delivered parcels on a bicycle and worked long hours to manage his household expenses.
He questioned whether delivery workers had any protection when they faced abuse or violence while carrying out their duties.
“What will the store do? Our customer is the first priority. We (delivery partners) are not priority. We are just delivering. We are collecting our payout. That's all,” he said.
In the video, Sameer also expressed frustration over what he saw as police inaction, saying he had approached the authorities after the incident but feared his complaint would go unheard.
“I know that the police won't do anything. Because I don't have money. I can't do anything. I can't make them listen to me,” he said.
Sameer then issued a warning that he might consume poison if his complaint was not heard within 24 hours.
“So, it's okay. I am giving you 24 hours of time. If I am not listened to, then I will drink a pack bottle of medicine from home,” he said in the video.
FAMILY ALLEGES DELAY IN POLICE ACTION
His uncle, Mohammed Shahid Saifi, said Sameer had gone to the Flipkart office after the assault before heading to Kalyanpuri police station with fellow delivery workers, where they filed a complaint.
He was later taken to Lal Bahadur Shastri Hospital, where a medico-legal case (MLC) was registered, his uncle added.
Sameer consumed poison on October 5 and remained under treatment until his death on October 20, his uncle said.
The loss has been especially painful for the family because October 22, the day they spoke about their grief, would have been Sameer's 25th birthday.
“Tell me, should we celebrate his birthday or observe his death anniversary? What are we supposed to celebrate?” his uncle said.
His uncle alleged that the police had failed to act adequately on Sameer's complaint and claimed that one of the accused was the nephew of BJP councillor Devendra Kumar. These allegations have not been independently established.
Sameer's family has demanded that a medical board conduct his post-mortem examination.
They have also sought CCTV footage from the intensive care unit and medical records detailing the treatment and medicines administered to him.
DELHI POLICE ARRESTS TWO ACCUSED
The East Delhi DCP said two people had been arrested in connection with the case after an FIR was registered.
According to the police, Sameer approached them on October 5 with the complaint. An FIR was registered the same day, and the two accused named in the complaint were arrested a week later and sent to jail.