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Kurnool (Andhra Pradesh), October 26 (IANS) The bike rider who caused the death of 19 passengers in the bus fire accident in Kurnool (Andhra Pradesh) on Friday was drunk, but the bus driver was found not to be under the influence of alcohol. A senior police officer gave this information on Sunday.
The recklessness with which he was seen riding the bike in the CCTV footage obtained by the police on Saturday clearly indicated that he was drunk, while the forensic report on Sunday confirmed that he was under the influence of alcohol.
The report from Regional Forensic Science Laboratory (RFSL), Kurnool confirmed that B. Shiv Shankar (22), who died after his bike skidded off the road and hit the divider, was drunk. Kurnool district superintendent of police B. Vikrant Patil told media persons on Sunday that viscera samples revealed that the bike rider was drunk.
Siva Shankar’s friend Eriswamy, who was riding pillion, admitted to the police on Sunday that he had consumed alcohol.
Police confirmed that bike rider Shiva Shankar died after hitting the divider near Chinnatekur, while Eriswamy, who escaped with minor injuries, fled the spot in panic after seeing the flames in the bus.
Eriswami told the police that he pulled Shiv Shankar’s body to the side of the road and was about to remove the bike lying in the middle of the road when a speeding bus hit the bike and dragged it for some distance.
The private bus, which was carrying 46 people including two drivers and was going from Hyderabad to Bengaluru, burst into flames.
While 19 passengers, including two children, were burnt to death, 27 passengers, including the two drivers, escaped by breaking the windows.
Police investigation revealed that the bus dragged the bike for about 200 meters, and due to friction and fuel leakage from the bike, a massive fire broke out, which engulfed the entire double-decker bus in no time.
After establishing the presence of a second person and identifying him through CCTV footage recorded at a petrol pump minutes before the accident, police picked up Eriswami from his native village Tuggali on Saturday.
Meanwhile, the police registered a First Information Report (FIR) on the complaint of a passenger.
Bus driver Miriyala Lakshmaiah and V. Kaveri Travels owner Vemuri Vinod Kumar have been booked under BNS sections 125 (A) and 106 (1) causing death by rash and negligent act.
The SP said that a separate FIR has been registered in connection with the bike accident.
On the complaint of Eriswami, a case has been registered against the deceased Shiva Shankar at Ulindakonda police station. The case has been registered on charges of negligence and drunk driving.
Apparently the bus driver did not notice the Pulsar bike lying on the road, resulting in this horrific accident. Police investigation also revealed that the bike was dodged by some buses passing by the spot earlier.
Police are also investigating whether the bus driver had obtained his license on the basis of a fake educational certificate.
Lakshmaiah, who had studied only till Class 5, allegedly managed to obtain a heavy vehicle driving license with a fake Class 10 certificate. Under licensing rules, anyone driving a transport vehicle must have studied at least up to Class 8.
Transport officials were also probing alleged violation of rules by the bus owner in converting the bus into a sleeper coach. Although the bus was plying between Telangana and Karnataka via Andhra Pradesh, it was registered in Daman and Diu in 2018 and was re-registered in Odisha this year.
–IANS
MS/PGH