Bus driver, conductor & owner booked for Almora accident

ALMORA: A day after the Almora bus tragedy which killed 36 people and left 27 injured, police registered an FIR against the vehicle's driver, conductor and owner - without naming them - under charges of "rash driving, negligence and criminal conspiracy" on Tuesday. Incidentally, the 52-year-old driver, Dinesh Singh, had died on the spot while the conductor is battling for his life in hospital.

SSP (Almora) Devendra Pincha said, "An FIR was registered under BNS sections 281 (rash driving), 106 (1) (causing death by negligence) and 61 (criminal conspiracy), among others. The deceased driver has been mentioned in the FIR only as part of an inquiry to ensure that the process is comprehensive, and to find out the circumstances leading to this tragedy."

A police officer privy to the case said, "The case against the driver may be eventually dropped. The bus owner and the conductor are expected to be questioned in the coming days to understand whether there was any negligence in maintaining the vehicle or its adherence to safety regulations."

The bus with registration number UK12PA-0061 was overloaded when it lost control and plunged into a 100m gorge near Kupi in Sult area of Almora on Monday, leading to one of the worst road tragedies in the state in recent times.