 "Bus accident, haryana, bus accident")
Hours before six children died when a bus overturned in Haryana's Mahendragarh on Thursday, parents had confiscated the keys from the driver who they suspected was drunk and informed the GL Public School’s principal.
“However, the principal (Deepti) told parents to give back the key to the bus driver as the children are getting late. She assured the parents that a new bus driver will come from tomorrow. We had complained about the driver to school authorities several times but they failed to change him,” reported Hindustan Times, citing a parent.
The police have arrested three individuals, including the driver, for the crash in which 20 children were injured.
Police officers cited in news reports said Dharmender was driving recklessly and lost control. He was apprehended at the scene of the accident, and medical examinations found he was drunk, said reports.
The incident occurred near Unhani village in Kanina at approximately 8:30 am on Thursday. The bus was en route to GL Public School with around 40 children aboard.
Reportedly, a class 12 student has filed a First Information Report (FIR) against the driver, saying the driver ignored their requests of slowing down and even intimidated them. “The driver ignored the students' requests to slow down the vehicle. He allegedly threatened the children,” the FIR read.
Apart from Dharmender, authorities also apprehended two other individuals, including the school's principal, Deepti, and another school official named Hoshiar Singh.
More From This Section
The Haryana Government has formed a four-member team to probe the school bus accident in Mahendragarh.
Haryana Education Minister Seema Trikha, while visiting injured students at hospitals, said that the school has been issued a show-cause notice to explain its decision to operate on the gazetted Eid holiday.
Mahendragarh Deputy Commissioner Monika Gupta mentioned that the District Education Officer has forwarded a proposal to the state government to revoke the school's recognition due to its operation on a gazetted holiday.
It was also discovered that the bus' fitness certificate had expired in 2018. Authorities have initiated an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the accident.
Haryana Transport Minister Aseem Goel informed that an FIR has been filed, and the state government has initiated an inquiry into the incident. He also instructed officials to conduct inspections to verify the fitness of all school buses.
Additionally, the education department intends to convene a meeting to ensure strict enforcement of the 'Surakshit School Vahan Policy' for the safe transportation of children.
