MP govt swings into action after 13 charred to death in bus running without permit, fitness certificate

After a fatal bus accident in Guna, Madhya Pradesh, the State Government suspends and transfers officials over negligence and offers compensation to victims' families.

A day after at least 13 persons were charred to death and more than 15 hospitalised after a private passenger bus caught fire following its collision with a dumper truck in Madhya Pradesh’s Guna, the State Government swung into action on December 28 suspending and transferring various senior officials over alleged negligence. 

Following Chief Minister Mohan Yadav’s visit to Guna, the government transferred the State Transport Commissioner Sanjay Kumar Jha, Guna District Collector Tarun Rathi, and Superintendent of Police (SP) Vijay Kumar Khatri. During his visit, Mr. Yadav also ordered the suspensions of Guna’s Chief Municipal Officer (CMO) B. D. Katrolia over the delay in reaching of fire tenders and ambulances, and the district’s Regional Transport Officer (RTO) Ravi Barelia as the bus was found to have incomplete documentations. 

The additional charge of the transport department was also taken from Principal Secretary Sukhveer Singh and handed to Additional Chief Secretary (Home Department) Rajesh Kumar Rajora.

According to Guna police, the accident took place in the Bajranggarh police station area around 8.20 p.m. on Wednesday when the bus going from Guna town to Aron town with about 30 passengers on board. Following the collision, the bus flipped on the road and caught fire, Mr. Khatri had said before his transfer. 

Speaking to The Hindu, SP City Shweta Gupta said that the bus was in poor condition and was found to be running without a valid permit and a fitness certificate and had not even filled its road tax while the dumper had its documents complete. 

She said that an FIR has been filed under Indian Penal Code (IPC) Sections 304A (Causing death by negligence), 308 (Attempt to commit culpable homicide), 337 (Causing hurt by act endangering life or personal safety of others), 79 (Act done by a person justified, or by mistake of fact believ­ing himself justified, by law), and various sections of the Motor Vehicles Act, 2022.

Apart from the drivers of the two vehicles who died in the accident, the owner of the bus service company has also been named in the FIR, she said.