A scooter-borne delivery boy for an online food delivery portal died in an accident on the Parama flyover early on Friday when he and his friend sneaked into the overbridge by dodging guardrails.

His friend, who was riding pillion, also received serious head injuries. He has been admitted to SSKM Hospital. Police said neither was wearing a helmet.

There is a ban on the entry of two-wheelers on flyovers across Calcutta between 10pm and 6am. A police officer said that it was rare that bikes or scooters try to access flyovers after the official timings. But when they do, they are prosecuted on the other side of the flyover while landing, the officer said.

Around 2.05am on Friday, Sanjay Rana, 23, a resident of Pulin Khatick Road in Tangra and his friend Chottu Das, 20, also from the same neighbourhood, were returning home when they broke through the police cordon and sped along the EM Bypass-bound flank of the Parama flyover.

The two-wheeler, which belonged to Rana, apparently skidded throwing the duo to the ground on the flyover stretch above Boat Club.

“The exact spot of the accident falls between the coverage of two CCTV cameras. The footage show that there was a gap between the scooter and trailing four-wheelers. So, any crash with a second vehicle can be ruled out,” said an officer of Pragati Maidan police station.

Sanjay Rana Picture by Bishwarup Dutta

Rana was taken to the Calcutta National Medical College and Hospital, where he died around 4am.

“Dada returned from work in the evening. Around 6pm, one of his friends came and they left together on his bike. That was the last time I saw him,” Rana’s sister said as she broke down. She said the police arrived at their home at 3am to break the news.

Rana is survived by his father, who is a plumber by profession, a younger sister and a handicapped mother.

When Metro visited the area on Friday evening, a small crowd had gathered around a makeshift memorial to Rana on Pulin Khatick Road. Neighbours said that although Rana did not have many friends, he was a good person. The family that lives in a shanty was largely dependent on Rana’s income.

According to people in the locality, Das lived in the same neighbourhood and was unemployed.

A senior officer at Lalbazar said they had identified the cop who was on duty at the Park Circus-end of the Parama flyover and had sought an explanation on how the scooter could speed past him during ban hour. “The officer concerned will be penalised,” he said.

Chief minister Mamata Banerjee had banned the entry of two wheelers on flyovers at night to prevent reckless driving and accidents. However, there have been incidents involving two-wheelers on flyovers during ban hours.