Mumbai, Jan 28: The sessions court has refused to grant bail to BEST bus driver Santosh Sawant, arrested in connection with the Bhandup bus accident that killed four people and injured nine, noting that the investigation is still in progress.
Details of the accident
As per the case registered with Bhandup police station, on December 29, Sawant was driving BEST’s Olectra Greentech-made nine-metre-long electric bus on Route 606. It is claimed that the bus crashed into pedestrians near Bhandup (West) suburban railway station, killing four people and injuring 10 others.
Bail plea and defence argument
Sawant was arrested by the police for the said accident. While seeking bail, Sawant claimed that at the time of the incident he was not under any influence and that the incident was nothing but an accident.
His lawyer, Devendra Patil, contended that the accident took place due to a narrow road, which was crowded and encroached upon by hawkers. It was further argued that while taking a turn, Sawant saw an autorickshaw and a pedestrian suddenly come in front of him. It was pleaded that in the situation, he tried to save them but lost control, leading to the accident.
Prosecution opposes bail
The plea was opposed by public prosecutor Ramesh Siroya, who argued that Sawant drove the bus recklessly and at high speed, crashing into passengers standing at a bus stop. The prosecution cited the testimony of an eyewitness to oppose the bail.
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Court’s observation
The court considered that the investigation is still in progress and that it would not be appropriate to arrive at any conclusion at this stage, and therefore rejected the bail plea. The detailed reasoned order is yet to be made available.
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