Tuesday, 10 SEPTEMBER 2024 | PNS | DEHRADUN
The police arrested a bus driver within 24 hours on charges of the accidental death of a bus conductor whose body was found between two buses parked at Inter-state Bus Terminal in Rishikesh on Sunday morning. The officials informed that a Tehri resident Vikram Singh lodged a complaint at Kotwali Rishikesh, reporting the death of his brother, Bharat Singh Bhandari, near his bus at Rishikesh ISBT. Bharat worked as a conductor on the bus alongside driver Dham Singh Rawat. The family initially suspected that Bharat had been murdered and his body dumped at the scene. The police registered a case under Section 103(1) of the BNS Act against unknown individuals and launched an investigation. Special teams were formed to trace the suspects and uncover the truth behind the incident. The police detained the primary suspect Rawat who had been driving the bus for the past 15-20 days on Monday. Rawat confessed during interrogation that on the evening of September 7, he and Bharat had been drinking together on the roof of the bus. An argument broke out between the two over a personal issue related to Bharat’s uncle’s vehicle. In the heat of the moment, Rawat reportedly pushed Bharat accidentally. He lost his balance and fell from the roof, suffering a fatal head injury. Panic-stricken, Rawat fled the scene but later returned to the bus after having dinner. The next morning, he informed the bus owner, who contacted the authorities, the officials claimed. They informed that the police concluded during the investigation that the incident was unintentional, leading to the downgrading of the charges from section 103(1) BNS (murder) to Section 105 BNS (causing death by negligence).
