Bus owner, driver booked for causing death by negligence
BATHINDA : The police on Sunday booked the owner and driver of the private bus that caught fire at Rampura Phul on Saturday evening, resulting in the death of three persons and injuring 23.
The accused were identified as Charanjit Singh, who was driving the bus, and Gurmail Singh, a resident of Barnala who owns the transport firm Rayia Transport Company, to which the bus belonged. They have been booked under Section 304 A (causing death due to negligence), 279 (rash driving), 337 (causing hurt by act endangering life or personal safety of others), 338 (causing grievous hurt by act endangering life or personal safety of others) and 427 (mischief causing damage to the amount of fifty rupees) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). Both are yet to be arrested.
WHAT HAD HAPPENED
The bus of Raiya Transport Company (RTC) coming from Bathinda to Ludhiana caught fire around 7pm near the railway crossing on Saturday. The fire that started from the rear of the bus — where the engine is housed — engulfed the bus immediately. It took two hours for the fire tenders to douse the flames.
According to the FIR, the driver didn’t stop the bus despite the passengers complaining about a burning smell emanating from the bus. When it finally stopped, the driver fled the spot. In a CCTV footage of the incident, passengers are seen jumping from the moving bus before it stopped. Meanwhile, Bathinda deputy commissioner (DC) Diprava Lakra said the fire broke out due to some electrical fault. Eight of the 23 injured suffered serious injuries and have been referred to Guru Gobind Singh Medical College in Faridkot, Bathinda civil hospital and Dayanand Medical College and Hospital, Ludhiana. Another five are undergoing treatment at Rampura Phul Civil hospital.
Injured Ranjit Singh, who was admitted in Faridkot medical college has been referred to the PGIMER in Chandigarh. The three deceased are yet to be identified.
SUKHBIR MOURNS DEATHS
CHANDIGARH: SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal on Sunday condoled the death of three persons in the bus fire mishap. He also reached out to those injured in the incident and urged the state government to provide apt financial assistance to the family of the deceased and injured. He also said the injured should be provided free medical treatment.