Mumbai bus horror: Need to probe if driver used vehicle as ‘weapon’, police tell court

Mumbai, Dec 10: Police on Tuesday sought from a court custody of the driver of the civic transport bus that fatally knocked down seven persons and injured 42 others in Mumbai, saying they need to probe if he had committed the act “deliberately” and used the vehicle as a “weapon”.

The court accepted the police plea after arguments and remanded Sanjay More (54), who was at the wheel of the ill-fated bus, to their custody till December 21 as details emerged he had no experience of driving electric vehicles and had undergone only a ten-day training for steering EVs.

An out of control e-bus operated by the civic-run Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) undertaking rammed into pedestrians and vehicles at around 9.30 pm on Monday on the SG Barve Marg in Kurla (West).

By Tuesday, the toll in the deadly crash rose to seven, while 42 others were injured, including four policemen, who were on ‘bandobast’ duty at the time in the area. Also, 22 vehicles were damaged.

Locals caught More after the accident, and thrashed him before handing him over to police, officials said.

He was later arrested and booked under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) sections 105 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder), 110 (attempt to commit culpable homicide), 118 (1) (voluntarily causing hurt using dangerous weapons or substances), 118 (2) (causing grievous hurt using dangerous weapons or harmful methods), police said.

The police produced him before a magistrate’s court and sought his remand, citing the crime was serious and a thorough investigation was needed. They submitted that they needed to investigate the accused’s intention in committing the crime and if there was any conspiracy.

The police further said they needed to probe if the driver used the bus in his possession as a “weapon” and drove it recklessly in a congested area, endangering the lives of passengers and pedestrians.

It was necessary to investigate if the accused had received the training to drive the bus and if he was under the influence of narcotics at the time of the crash, they told the court.

The police maintained the transport department was yet to examine the bus involved in the accident.

Opposing the police’s remand plea, More’s lawyer, Samadhan Sulane, said the accident could have occurred due to a “technical fault” in the bus.

He argued that it was the administration’s responsibility to thoroughly check vehicles before handing them over to drivers.

After hearing arguments from both sides, the court remanded More to police custody till December 21.

The driver had no experience of driving EVs, police said. More had undergone only a ten-day training for driving electric buses, he allegedly told the police after his arrest.

During his interrogation, More told the police he had started driving BEST’s electric buses only since December 1, and prior to that he drove mini buses, said an official.

Police found More mentally alert during the interrogation, and primary medical reports suggested he was not under the influence of alcohol, the official said.

The 12-metre long bus, manufactured by Hyderabad-based Olectra Greentech, was examined by forensic science experts and Regional Transport Officers to ascertain if it had any mechanical failures that led to the accident.

The injured persons were undergoing treatment at various Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC)-run medical facilities, including Bhabha Hospital, Sion Hospital and Seven Hills Hospital, police said, adding condition of some of them was critical.

The BEST undertaking has set up a committee to investigate the accident. The probe committee will be headed by Chief Manager (Transport) Ramesh Madavi.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis expressed deep sorrow over the loss of lives in the crash and prayed for the speedy recovery of the injured persons.

In a message on X, Fadnavis announced a financial assistance of Rs 5 lakh to the kin of each of the deceased from the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund.

The medical expenses of the injured will be borne by BMC andd BEST undertaking, he said.

“We stand with the families of those who lost their lives in this unfortunate incident. I pray for the speedy recovery of the injured,” the CM said.

Sharing details with the media after more than five hours of the accident, BEST said “as per the initial information, the driver lost control of the bus”.

Further commenting on the accident, in which several vehicles were dragged or damaged along the way, the transport body said the bus “speed accelerated” after the driver lost control over the wheels.

A BEST official said the bus suffered extensive damage on its front portion and windscreen and some window glasses were also shattered.

The bus was removed from the spot with the help of a crane and an earth mover at around 12.30 am on Tuesday and brought to Kurla depot by 1.15 am.

A team of motor vehicle inspectors examined the bus to find out if there was any mechanical problem in it. They will submit a report to police on the basis of their findings, sources at the Regional Transport Office (RTO) said.

After the crash, the police shut the SG Barve Marg, connecting to Kurla station, for traffic movement. Police personnel were deployed in large numbers outside Kurla (W) station, where bus services partially resumed on Tuesday evening.

Meanwhile, a BJP delegation met BEST General Manager Anil Diggikar and demanded a compensation of Rs 10 lakh each for the families of the deceased and Rs 50,000 to Rs 2 lakh for the injured.