Cheistha her father SP Kochhar

THE father of a young woman who died in a collision with a truck when she was cycling home has said the police investigation is taking far too long.

Next month will mark a year since SP Kochhar, who lives in Delhi, lost his 33-year-old daughter Cheistha, a PhD student at the London School of Economics.

Ms Kochhar was cycling from the university to her home in Highbury with her husband when she was knocked off her e-bike in Clerkenwell Road at the junction with Farringdon Road.

She was pronounced dead at the scene at around 8.30pm on March 19.

“We want justice for our daughter who has been killed in a foreign land,” Mr Kochhar told the Tribune in a phone call from India.

“We’re sitting thousands of miles away with a lot of hope in the British system but what’s happening is distressing. We want justice more than anything else.”

An inquest was scheduled for August but has been postponed indefinitely.

Mr Kochhar said: “Since March 2024 all we’ve been told is that the investigation is ongoing. It’s very frustrating.

It’s not an inanimate object that has been lost, it’s a human being. So much time has passed, it’s so frustrating.

Clerkenwell Road, where the collision happened

“We look at the UK as a very role model type of a country and when it comes to justice it’s rather strange that nothing is moving.”

Mr Kochhar said he understands that the vehicle involved was a “six wheel” truck. “They said there’s evidence they can’t disclose,” he said. “For a parent this is just very difficult for us to understand,” he said.

“It is very painful. She was one of the brightest children from India. She got married a year before. She was very kind. She was very cheerful, always helping people.

“She loved animals and brought home many puppies when she was younger.”

After finishing her master’s degree in Chicago, it was always Ms Kochhar’s dream to study at LSE, for which she got a fully funded scholarship.

She was studying organisational behaviour, and her main subject was nudge theory – how people’s behaviour can be influenced while keeping their freedom to make their own decisions.

“She wanted to get the best education in the world and then come back and apply it in India to improve the system here,” her father said.

He added that everyone that knew her has left condolences and shared a time when Ms Kochhar has helped them.

“We visited her in February. She was happy, they were happy, we were happy. They always cycled to college unless it was bad weather. It was about a 15-minute cycle.

Cheistha with her husband Prashan

“We were cycling with her on our visit. She told me it was safe as long as you stick to the cycle lanes.

“We found it is quite organised but I don’t know what happened. It should not have happened, it has totally changed our lives.

“We spoke to her at 11.30 at night she was fine she said ‘I’m going home, I’ll speak to you tomorrow’. At 2.30am I get a call from my son-in-law saying that she is no more.”

There have been no arrests.

Chief Superintendent Thomas Naughton, who leads the Met’s Roads and Transport Command, said: “A dedicated family liaison officer was appointed to ensure Cheistha’s family is supported and regularly updated with pro­gress while our work continues.

“I understand their frustration about the length of time the investigation is taking, and the family liaison officer has endeavoured to make sure Cheistha’s family are informed as to the various steps that need to be completed before a final decision about the outcome can be made. We hope to conclude this soon.”

He added: “We have also engaged in open and ongoing dialogue with the Crown Prosecution Service. Fatal collision investigations require specialist examinations by highly trained officers of both the scene and any vehicles involved.

“It is imperative that these examinations are carried out to the required legal standards and they do take time to complete.

“My committed team are working diligently to ensure that Cheistha’s family and loved ones are provided with the answers they need.”