A joyride by a cleaner ended up snuffing out the life of two men when he rammed the car, owned by a senior External Affairs Ministry official, into them in south Delhi today, police said.

The accident came on a day when the daughter of one of the victims was to get engaged.

Sultan Singh (50) and Raja Ram (30) were killed in the accident near Ansal Plaza on Khel Gaon Marg in south Delhi at around 6 AM when Manish, a cleaner, allegedly lost control over the car and hit them.

The car belongs to Kartik Pandey, an Under Secretary in the External Affairs Ministry. Pandey was not in the car when the accident took place.

"Manish had told us that he had taken the car without the knowledge of Pandey for a joyride with his friends in the morning hours. He had accepted this," Chhaya Sharma, Deputy Commissioner of Police, said.

He drove the vehicle for about 30 minutes before the accident took place, a senior police official said.

After the accident, he quietly returned the vehicle to the parking and left.
According to the official, Singh's daughter was to get engaged today and Ram had come to the city from Bangalore to attend the ceremony.

Singh's son-in-law Kush Kapoor alleged that police was trying to cover up the incident and save the government official, who is in the External Affairs Ministry. Police denied the allegations.

"The accident took place at 6 AM and the official had registered a case of vehicle theft three hours later. We suspect a cover up. We want justice," Kapoor said