Haryana school bus accident: Villagers had stopped drunk driver before bus crash and seized his keys, but...
PTC Web Desk: In a tragic incident on Thursday, six schoolchildren lost their lives and 20 others were injured in a bus accident in Haryana's Mahendragarh district. The accident occurred when the bus carrying around 40 children to GL Public School crashed into a tree near Unhani village in Kanina around 8:30 am. The vehicle overturned upon impact.
As per eyewitnesses, bus driver Dharmender was allegedly drunk and driving recklessly. Before the accident, some villagers had intervened, taking the bus key away from Dharmender due to concerns over his apparent inebriation. However, after the school authorities assured them that the driver would be replaced, the villagers handed the key back. Tragically, Dharmender continued driving the bus and lost control shortly after, resulting in the fatal crash.
Parents and villagers had expressed concerns about Dharmender's drinking habits to the school authorities earlier also. Even on the morning of the accident, parents had warned the school that the driver seemed to be under the influence of alcohol. Witnessing Dharmender's rash driving and apparent intoxication, the children on the bus repeatedly pleaded with him to slow down, but he ignored their requests and threatened them. The bus eventually collided with a tree and overturned.
After the accident, three persons were arrested: driver Dharmender, school's principal Deepti and another official Hoshiar Singh. Dharmender was arrested from the accident site and a medical examination confirmed that he was indeed under the influence of alcohol. Legal action has been taken against them under multiple sections of the Indian Penal Code, including those related to rash driving and culpable homicide not amounting to murder, as well as relevant provisions of the Motor Vehicles Act.
It has also come to notice that the bus involved in the accident lacked proper documentation, including an expired fitness certificate since 2018. Haryana Transport Minister Aseem Goel cited the continued use of the bus as a severe lapse on the part of the school's authorities. In response, an assistant secretary in the office of the district-transport-cum-secretary, Mahendragarh, was suspended for the oversight.
The Additional Transport Commissioner (Road Safety) has been tasked with conducting a detailed investigation into the causes of the accident and determining who should be held responsible.
GL Public School also faces scrutiny for operating on Thursday, a national holiday in observance of Eid. Mahendragarh Deputy Commissioner Monika Gupta said a proposal had been sent to the state government to revoke the school's recognition for being open on a national holiday. A show-cause notice has also been issued to the private school to explain its decision to operate on a day off.
Meanwhile, a four-member panel has been formed to investigate the incident and probe the reasons behind the accident.
- With inputs from agencies
