The Haryana government has launched an investigation into the tragic school bus accident that occurred in Mahendragarh on 11th April (Thursday) which resulted in the deaths of at least six students and the injuries of twenty others. The driver was reportedly under the influence of alcohol and the bus was missing crucial paperwork, including a fitness certificate. The accident happened when the vehicle carrying school children overturned.
Witnesses unveiled that the accident could have been prevented. Some locals had taken the key from the driver Dharmender who was visibly intoxicated and barred the four-wheeler from proceeding forward. However, the key was returned to him after the administration of the institution gave their word that Dharmender would be replaced. They were told that a different driver would be sent in the future.
Sanjay Kumar, a farmer from Jhaadhli disclosed, “The principal told the parents to give back the key to the bus driver as the children were getting late. She assured the parents that a new bus driver would come from tomorrow. We had complained about the driver to school authorities several times but they failed to change him.”
Unfortunately, at about 8.30 am the driver lost control of the bus and it slammed into a tree close to Unhani village in Kanina. The bus had only travelled a short distance. The collision caused the bus which was transporting about 40 students from Class 4 to 10 to GL Public School to topple over. The school authorities were informed about the driver’s alcohol consumption not just by the villagers but also by a few parents also. They had notified the school that the driver was inebriated on the fateful day.
“At Kheri Talwana, the bus was stopped by a few villagers who saw that the driver was drunk and driving rashly. They took the keys out of the ignition. They returned it after the school staff on the bus made them. Around 6 km away from the village, the accident took place,” voiced Hanuman Singh, the grandparent of two children involved in the accident. “The school authorities are equally responsible for this,” he charged and claimed that the school management was aware that the bus driver was drunk.
Inspector Ramnath, the station house officer (SHO) of Sadar Kanina, confirmed the occurrence and pointed out that the bus driver nearly collided with another vehicle. “The driver of the vehicle stopped the bus and took the keys prompting the villagers to gather. They called the school authorities and informed them that the driver was drunk and driving rashly. Later, they gave the keys back and he drove away.” 15-year-old Harsh who was inside the bus divulged that the driver was speeding and when they asked him to slow down he claimed that the school administration would reprimand him.
“The bus driver lost control of the vehicle and it rammed into a tree. The students sitting in the front and last rows of the bus received injuries after the glass of the windows broke. The bus driver jumped off the bus when it collided with the tree,” informed Class 9 student Aditya.
Currently, three individuals have been taken into custody in connection with this case, the driver Dharmender, the school principal Deepti and another school official Hoshiar Singh. Dharmender was apprehended at the scene of the collision, according to the police and it was determined by his medical assessment that he had consumed alcohol. In addition, the private school has been given a show-cause notice to explain why it remained open on 11th April even though it was Eid, a national holiday. A four-person team has also been assembled to look into the accident.
Kanina Deputy Superintendent of Police Mahendra Singh stated, “We will investigate why the school was open even on a holiday. The driver has been arrested, and a medical test will be conducted on him.” The vehicle’s fitness certificate expired in 2018, and according to Haryana Transport Minister Aseem Goel, the school administration’s regular usage of the bus constituted a glaring oversight. The bus was found to be missing some paperwork, which led to the suspension of an assistant secretary in the Mahendragarh district transport-secretary’s office. The officials added that the Additional Transport Commissioner (Road Safety) has been instructed to conduct an extensive inquiry into the accident’s causes and identify those accountable.
On 12th April at 3 pm, the Haryana Education Department has scheduled a meeting to discuss vehicle safety policy. Video conferencing will be used to enable participation from all of the state’s District Education Officers, Elementary Education Officers and Block Education Officers from different parts of the state.
Unsettling details concerning the circumstances leading up to the crash came to light during the initial probe. Study materials, school bags and shoes were strewn among the wreckage after the collision. While some kids yelled out in pain, others lay in bloody puddles. Authorities revealed that while fourteen of the pupils who were admitted to the hospital following the incident have been released, three remain in severe condition.
Seema Trikha, the Haryana Minister of Education, visited the school and noted that the institution had received a show-cause notice asking it to explain why it was open on an Eid holiday. She added that every private school must submit an affidavit certifying that its vehicles adhere to transportation laws and regulations. She announced that the driver, the school’s owner and the principal would all be the subject of a First Information Report.
She declared, “I want to tell the whole state that today a show cause notice has been issued to the school and apart from that, we have taken self-affidavits from the private schools. Second, they have to provide an affidavit of the transportation vehicle saying that their vehicles functioned according to the transport rules and norms, third, whoever is driving their vehicles, if they are found drunk, then they (schools) will hold the responsibility.”
However, the district education officer submitted a request to the state government to revoke the school’s recognition because it was operating on a gazetted holiday, per Mahendragarh Deputy Commissioner Monika Gupta. She mentioned “Despite repeated warnings from the children, he continued to drive recklessly, endangering our lives. On our way, to Kheri Talwana, parents confiscated the keys from Dharmendra and informed the school. However, the school administration threatened them and they had to return the keys.”
She added, “Besides the driver, there was no helper or female staff on the bus, which is a violation of the instructions given by the school administration. Therefore, I urge you to take strict legal action against Dharmendra, the driver, as well as the school principal and administration for their negligence.”
Meanwhile, the state government has launched an investigation into the instance, based on Transport Minister Aseem Goel who added that a formal complaint has been submitted. “We had challaned the bus for Rs 15,500 due to a lack of documents, but clearly, a lapse of the school authorities has been found,” he highlighted. He warned that if the investigation finds that the motor vehicles inspector in the area didn’t act despite knowing the bus lacked proper documents, they would face consequences as well.
Furthermore, he gave officials orders to examine the condition of every school bus. An FIR has been filed at the Kanina City police station under sections 109, 120B, 279, 336, 337, 304, and 185 of the Indian Penal Code as well as the Motor Vehicles Act against the bus driver, the principal and the school administration by a twelfth-grade student.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, President Droupadi Murmu and other dignitaries offered their profound condolences and demanded immediate action to avert such catastrophic mishaps in the future.
