By IANS
New Delhi : The Blueline bus which ran over seven people and left eight others severely injured in south Delhi Sunday morning was involved in prosecutions for traffic violations at least 13 times in the past two years, the police said.
“The driver of the killer bus (DLIP V 8776) was prosecuted seven times since November last year for the offences like talking on mobile phone while driving, not wearing seat belt, driving without uniform, dangerous driving, parking bus in wrong place and violating traffic signals,” said a senior police official.
“The person behind the wheels of this bus had also been prosecuted at least six times in the earlier one year,” the official added.
In the worst disaster caused by the “killer” fleet of privately-run city buses that has claimed 95 lives this year, the bus ploughed through people waiting to commute or mowed down those crossing the road at Aali Gaon, three kilometres from the Apollo Hospital, when it tried to pass by a stationary Delhi Transport Corp (DTC) bus from the wrong side.
Announcing compensation of Rs.100,000 each to the families of the persons killed and a probe into the accident, Delhi’s Transport Minister Haroon Yusuf said: “The electronic speed governor fitted in the bus was tampered with. There was a switch that made the speed governor ineffective.”
After the accident, thousands of infuriated people took to the streets and tried twice to torch the bus but the police prevented them from doing so. The mobs of people then hurled stones at the police and damaged the bus.
The police resorted to mild baton charge and fired tear-gas shells to disperse the mobs, which blocked the Mathura Road that links New Delhi with Agra and beyond, and crippled traffic for over two hours.
The bus driver, Anil Kumar, 40, tried to flee but was caught by passers-by and severely assaulted. The police intervened, took him into custody and rushed him to the Safdarjang Hospital.
The police said a case of culpable homicide was registered against Kumar at the Badarpur police station.