Deogarh bus accident: Cuttack RTO lodges FIR against owner

Cuttack RTO today lodged an FIR at Lalbag police station here against the owner of the bus that met with an accident in Deogarh district on Sunday evening killing 27 passengers for illegally running the 'unfit' vehicle.
However, Cuttack City Police refused to register a case in this regard stating that the place of occurrence didn't come under its jurisdiction.
"If any vehicle registered with Cuttack RTO meets an accident in any part of the country, the Lalbag police is not responsible to deal with it," said Inspector Debadutta Baral.
When contacted, Cuttack RTO Diptee Ranjan Patra said a similar FIR has been lodged with the Deogarh police on Monday urging the district SP to initiate criminal proceedings against the owner of the bus for abetting the fatal accident by transporting passengers in an 'unfit' vehicle.

Patra said the bus was registered in the name of one Tapan Mohanty of Nimeishapur of Cuttack Sadar in 2008 and it obtained the last fitness certificate in April 2012.
"Since March 2013, the owner has failed to pay the requisite taxes for which a certificate case was instituted against him at the local tehsildar office," the RTO said adding, the records in the transport department show the bus to be owned by Mohanty till it met with the accident on April 17.