Modinagar bus accident: 3 RTO officials suspended for negligence

The Uttar Pradesh government on Friday suspended two additional regional transport officers and one regional inspector over the death of a 10-year-old student of Dayawati Modi Public School in Ghaziabad’s Modinagar

The Uttar Pradesh government on Friday suspended two additional regional transport officers and one regional inspector over the death of a 10-year-old student of Dayawati Modi Public School in Ghaziabad’s Modinagar.

Ghaziabad, India - April 21, 2022: People protest on NH 58 road, outside Modinagar police station over the death of a child who was overrun by a bus, in Ghaziabad, India, on Thursday, April 21 2022. (Photo by Sakib Ali /Hindustan Times)

Ghaziabad district’s assistant regional transport officer (enforcement) Satish Kumar, assistant regional transport officer (administration) Vishwajeet Pratap Singh and regional inspector Prem Kumar Singh were suspended for negligence, said the order issued by Rajesh Kumar Singh, principal secretary, transport department, Uttar Pradesh.

The government action comes after the Class 4 student looked out of the window of the school bus and died after his head hit a pole. It was found that the bus was operating without a fitness certificate and was also blacklisted.

While Satish Kumar was responsible for the inspection of school buses and other vehicles, Vishwajit Pratap Singh was in charge of Prem Kumar, who looked after fitness standards of the school buses. Prem Kumar is currently posted as ARTO Kanpur and was the regional inspector in Ghaziabad between 2015-2021.

Confirming about the suspension orders, Ghaziabad’s regional transport officer Arun Kumar said, “A departmental inquiry has been initiated against the officials.”

Ghaziabad police files FIR against lawyer, 50 others for ‘rioting’

A day after the family members of the student who died staged a protest outside the Modinagar police station on the Delhi Meerut Road, the Modinagar police on Friday registered an FIR against a lawyer and 40-50 other unidentified suspects for ‘rioting’ and ‘unlawful assembly’ during the protest.

“An FIR under Sections 147 (punishment for rioting), 149 (every member of unlawful assembly guilty of offence ), 151 (whoever knowingly joins or continues in any assembly of five or more persons likely to cause a disturbance of the public peace) and 153 (giving provocation with intent to cause riot) has been filed against one Lokendra Kumar, who was seen provoking and inciting others and is also accused of spreading provoking messages over social media for unlawful gathering,” said superintendent of police (rural) Iraj Raja.

Raja added that Modinagar police found that the main accused was sharing messages on social media, urging other parents and residents of the area to hold a protest on Friday and come in large numbers against the school and district administration.

“We have done videography of Thursday’s protest and are identifying all the people who were trying to incite the family members for their own gain and were trying to turn the protest violent,” added Raja.

Meanwhile, members of the Ghaziabad Parents’ Association alleged that the police were trying to silence the family members and their supporters.

“A message for a peaceful candlelight protest was being shared on social media by the supporters of the parents of the deceased child. The protest was supposed to take place at 4pm on Friday. However, it was called off after the police filed an FIR against one of their supporters. It seems like the police are trying to silence us,” said Vivek Tyagi, a member of the association.

Responding to the allegations, Raja said that since Section 144 of the CrPC is currently imposed in Ghaziabad district, holding protests is not allowed.