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Hinjewadi bus fire case: Pune court grants bail to driver
Pune sessions court granted bail to Janardhan Nilkanth Humbardikar, the driver accused in the Hinjewadi bus fire tragedy that killed four persons and injured several others on March 19, 2025
Pune: A Pune sessions court has granted bail to Janardhan Nilkanth Humbardikar, bus driver, accused in the Hinjewadi bus fire tragedy that killed four persons and injured several others on March 19.
The order was passed on Monday, March 23, by Sessions Judge SR Salunkhe, nearly a year after Humbardikar’s arrest on March 27, 2025. The court observed that whether the incident was accidental or intentional would be determined during trial.
While granting bail, the court noted that the investigation was complete, the chargesheet had been filed, and the accused had spent over a year in custody. It held that continued incarceration was not warranted at this stage.
“Having considered the rival submissions, it is clear from the statement of the investigating officer that the investigation is completed and a chargesheet has been filed. The applicant has been behind bars for one year. The incident is certainly unfortunate, the applicant cannot be presumed guilty before the trial,” stated the court in its order.
Humbardikar has been directed to furnish a personal bond of ₹30,000 with one surety of the same amount. The court has barred him from contacting or influencing witnesses and directed him to provide proof of residence and keep authorities informed of any changes.
Humbardikar was arrested in a case registered at Hinjewadi police station under Sections 103(1), 109(1) and 125 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. The prosecution alleged that he deliberately set fire to the employee transport bus he was driving, leading to the deaths of four passengers and injuries to five others.
According to the prosecution, the accused had disputes with employees of a private firm, Vyoma, who were travelling in the bus. It is alleged that Humbardikar ignited a cloth bundle soaked in benzene inside the moving vehicle and then jumped out without applying the brakes. The bus caught fire, veered off the road and crashed into a tree, trapping passengers.
The defence, represented by advocate Raghav Puranik, contested the prosecution’s claims, arguing that the case had been wrongly portrayed as intentional homicide. He submitted that eyewitness accounts indicated an accidental fire.
The defence argued that the accused appeared to have been caught off guard by a sudden fire near his seat, and his clothes had caught fire, prompting him to jump out in panic. It added that other passengers had also tried to escape in a similar manner.
Puranik further pointed to alleged safety lapses, including modifications near the rear seats that obstructed access to the emergency exit door, which he said contributed to the fatalities.
The prosecution, led by investigating officer police sub-inspector Datta Kale and the assistant public prosecutor, opposed the bail plea, maintaining that the fire was deliberate.
