Bus Fire Probe: Transport Company Manager Arrested, Fourth in Yamuna Expressway Case

The manager of the travel agency that operated the sleeper bus which caught fire on the Yamuna Expressway, killing nine people, has been arrested, bringing the total number of arrests in the case to four, police said on Saturday.

The arrested man, identified as Vikas, was summoned from Delhi's Kashmere Gate for questioning on Friday and taken into custody. He was produced before a court, which sent him to 14 days of judicial custody. The three people arrested earlier in the case also remain in judicial custody.

According to investigators, the bus's drivers and conductors had raised concerns about the vehicle with the transport company through the manager, including a problem with the gearbox, but their complaints were allegedly disregarded. The fire broke out a few days later.

Police said the probe is being carried out with assistance from the Transport Department and that further action will follow.

The bus was on its way from Kashmere Gate in Delhi to Mahoba in Uttar Pradesh when it caught fire around 11.20 pm on Wednesday near the 33-km milestone of the Yamuna Expressway. Nine of the 35 passengers on board died.

Two drivers, Pawan and Yogesh Dixit, and conductor Rohit, all residents of Kanpur Dehat, were arrested earlier. They allegedly abandoned the vehicle and fled after the fire began.

An FIR has been registered under BNS sections 281 (rash driving), 125(b) (endangering life) and 105 (culpable homicide), among others. The bus, bearing registration number BR32PA8647, was operated by Raj Kalpana Travel Agency of Madhya Pradesh and registered in Madhubani, Bihar, according to the Regional Transport Office.

The vehicle had accumulated fines of Rs 1.75 lakh across 19 challans, Gautam Buddh Nagar RTO Public Transport Officer Rajesh Mohan had said.