A bus caught fire near Ozarde village on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway at around 5am on Tuesday.
Fortunately, no passengers were injured in the incident. However, the bus was completely gutted by the flames.
Firefighters brought the fire under control within a few hours.
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Shirgaon police are investigating the matter as the cause of the fire remains unclear.
This comes only a few days after a minibus carrying employees of graphic design firm Vyoma Graphics was engulfed in fire in Hinjawadi. Four people died in this incident, while five others were injured.
Meanwhile, it was later revealed that it was not an accident but a planned act of revenge by the vehicle’s driver.
According to Vishal Gaikwad, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), the 52-year-old accused driver, Janardan Humbardekar, had deliberately set the bus on fire due to work-related grievances, including constant quarrels with employees he was ferrying.
Initially, authorities suspected a short-circuit might have caused the fire. However, the theory was rubbished following the driver’s confession.
Humbardekar had reportedly smuggled benzene into the vehicle a day earlier, placed rags used for toner cleaning inside the vehicle and ignited them with a matchstick when the bus reached a one-way stretch in Hinjawadi Phase 1. Before the fire spread, he exited the vehicle, ensuring his escape. Humbardekar too sustained minor burn injuries and was undergoing treatment at a private hospital.
