New Delhi, Sept. 19 -- A 55-year-old tea vendor was killed early Thursday when a Delhi Police PCR van allegedly crashed into his stall while he slept beside it in New Delhi's Mandir Marg area. Police said the accident occurred after the van's driver, a constable, mistakenly pressed the accelerator instead of applying the brakes. But locals and eyewitnesses alleged that the two policemen in the vehicle were "heavily intoxicated" at the time. The constable, identified as Kimesh, and an assistant sub-inspector (ASI) who accompanied him were on duty. Both have been arrested on charges of rash driving and causing death by negligence, besides being suspended from service, senior officers said. The victim, Gangaram Tiwari, was sleeping next to his tea stall, which was set up on a ramp-like structure in a narrow lane that also houses a small temple and a parking area. The speeding PCR van, a white Ertiga PCR, struck the ramp, crushed Tiwari, and came to a halt atop the his tea stall. The impact was so severe that Tiwari died on the spot. Police said the accident occurred around 5am, and the control room was alerted at 5.30am. Senior officers said Kimesh might have dozed off and mistakenly stepped on the accelerator while out on a routine van inspection. Locals rushed out of nearby makeshift homes on hearing the loud crash and staged a protest at the lane, accusing the policemen of drink driving. "People had gathered around them, and the policeman could barely stand," said Mahant Bholagiri, the head priest of the nearby temple. "We all know policemen often come near the parking area to drink. When we checked their vehicle, we found a liquor bottle. As the crowd began shouting, other policemen arrived, took the two away, and removed the van. I've known Tiwari for years; he sold tea outside my temple for over 15 years. He was an honest man with five children. he did not deserve this." Tiwari was declared dead at a nearby hospital. Police teams and forensic experts later arrived to collect samples. Originally from Gonda, Tiwari had lived in Delhi for 15-20 years without a permanent home. He and his son, Sukumar, usually slept near the stall or in parked tempos. Tiwari was disabled -- he lost one leg to polio in his childhood and the other to injuries in a road accident about 10-15 years ago. Police have denied the allegations of intoxication. DCP (New Delhi) Devesh Mahla said, "We had received a call around 5.30am about the accident. By the time we reached there, the man had lost his life. We have suspended both policemen involved. We also took them for a medical examination." He later added, "As per the medical examination, no liquor traces could be found in either personnel."...