Police personnel and others gather near a Bengaluru-bound private bus that caught fire after colliding with a two-wheeler, with the blaze being triggered after the motor bike with its fuel cap open was dragged underneath the bus, in Kurnool district, Andhra Pradesh.
Credit: PTI Photo
Hyderabad: In a major revelation in the Kurnool bus tragedy that claimed 19 lives, it has now been confirmed that the biker responsible for triggering the fire was drunk. Forensic reports revealed that B Siva Sankar, the rider of the two-wheeler, was under the influence of alcohol when his bike hit the highway divider near Chinnatekuru and caught fire after colliding with the Bengaluru-bound sleeper bus operated by V Kaveri Travels.
His companion, Yerriswami, who was pillion rider, reportedly confessed to Kurnool police that both had consumed alcohol.
Kurnool Superintendent of Police Vikrant Patil said on Sunday that the Regional Forensic Science Laboratory (RFSL) had detected traces of alcohol in the viscera samples of the deceased.
“On October 24, a road accident occurred near Chinnatekuru village under the jurisdiction of Ulindakonda Police Station, where a Kurnool resident, Siva Sankar, died on the spot in a self-caused accident. The Regional Forensic Science Laboratory (RFSL), Kurnool, submitted its analysis report on the incident. According to the RFSL report, traces of alcohol were found in the viscera samples of the deceased. Based on this report, it was determined that the deceased was driving under the influence of alcohol at the time of the accident,” said Kurnool Superintendent of Police Vikrant Patil on Sunday.
Police further said that a separate case was registered at Ulindakonda Police Station against Siva Sankar, based on a complaint filed by his friend Yerriswami, who survived the mishap. The FIR includes Sections 281, 125(A), and 106(1) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), relating to rash driving and causing death by negligence. Yerriswami reportedly told police that both men had consumed alcohol before starting the journey.
Meanwhile, police have also filed an FIR against the driver and owner of V Kaveri Travels under Sections 125(A) and 106(1) of the BNS, holding them responsible for negligence that led to the devastating bus inferno. The driver Miriyala Laxmiah has been named as Accused No. 1 (A1), and the owner Vemuri Vinod Kumar as Accused No. 2 (A2), following a complaint from a passenger identified as Ramesh.
The horrific mishap, which occurred in the early hours of October 24, gutted the private sleeper coach, killing 19 passengers who were trapped inside as the flames spread rapidly.
Meanwhile, Hyderabad Police Commissioner, VC Sajjanar, who has been critical and vocal about drunken driving offences, on Sunday called drunk drivers "terrorists". In the wake of revelation that the biker Siva Sankar who was linked to Kurnool bus tragedy was confirmed drunk when the mishap happened last Friday, Sajjanar took to social media.
“Drunk drivers are terrorists and their actions are nothing short of acts of terror on our roads. The horrific Kurnool bus accident, which claimed the lives of 20 innocent people, was not an accident in the truest sense. It was a preventable massacre, caused by the reckless and irresponsible behaviour of an intoxicated biker. This was not a road mishap but a criminal act of negligence that annihilated entire families within seconds.The biker, identified as B. Shiva Shankar, was under the influence of alcohol. CCTV footage shows him refueling his motorcycle at 2:24 am, minutes before he lost control and caused the devastating collision at 2:39 am. His decision to drive drunk turned a moment of arrogance into a tragedy of unimaginable scale,“ the top cop of Hyderabad said in the social media post.
He added that he stands firmly by his statement that drunk drivers are "terrorists in every sense as they destroy lives, families, and futures. Such acts will never be tolerated."
“In Hyderabad, we are adopting a zero-tolerance stance against drunk driving. Every single person caught driving under the influence will face the full force of law. There will be no leniency, no exceptions, and no mercy for those who endanger innocent lives. It’s time we, as a society, stop calling drunk driving a mistake. It is a crime that shatters lives and must be punished accordingly,” added Sajjanar.