DPS school bus accident: Former principal arrested for negligence

The former principal of Delhi Public School, Indore, Sudarshan Sonar was arrested on Monday on charges of negligence in ensuring the safety of students.

Updated on: Feb 12, 2018, 23:10:42 IST

Hindustan Times, Bhopal | By Shruti Tomar

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The former principal of Delhi Public School, Indore, Sudarshan Sonar was arrested on Monday on charges of negligence in ensuring the safety of students.

A school bus was left wrecked after an accident on the Indore bypass on January 5, 2018. Five students and the bus driver were killed after the vehicle collided with a truck. (PTI File Photo)

Four students and a driver were killed on January 5 when the bus carrying them collided with a truck on the Indore bypass. Two students are still battling for their life in the ICU of a private hospital. According to the police, the bus driver had flagged the problems in the vehicle to the school authorities but they did not pay any heed to his complaint.

After the accident, Indore collector Nishant Warwade ordered a magisterial probe in the matter.

Read | Indore school bus accident: Inquiry report blames DPS management

City superintendent of police , Indore, Jayant Rathod said, “Sudarshan Sonar, who was the principal when the accident took place, was found guilty of negligence in the magisterial probe. Sonar was held responsible for not following the CBSE and collector guidelines to ensure safety of the children. He did not take any action even after the driver apprised him of the problems in the 14-year-old bus.”

The parents of the students had organised a condolence meeting on February 5 and staged a protest, demanding action against the school. They also urged people to press the NOTA button on EVMs in the upcoming assembly polls as they blamed CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan for failing to punish the guilty.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Shruti Tomar
I have spent over a decade chronicling Madhya Pradesh’s political and social landscape, covering politics, investigative journalism, crime, human interest, and government policy, blending sharp insight with ground‑level depth. I have closely tracked three assembly elections, three Lok Sabha elections, leadership transitions in MP while exposing governance lapses, tender irregularities, and flawed policy rollouts. My reports have revealed gaps in the Cheetah project, irregularities in medical education, rigging in recruitment exams, and loopholes in policy implementation. In crime reporting, I have moved beyond FIRs to map systemic patterns — from organised crime networks and gender‑based violence to custodial accountability — balancing urgency with sensitivity. My journalism is defined by a commitment to human interest. I have profiled the marginalised Bancchda community, documented atrocities against tribal groups, and highlighted efforts to preserve their culture through heritage liquor and revival of spiritual practices. I have reported on farmers struggling with failed MSP promises, giving voice to those often reduced to statistics in policy files. Passionate about field reporting, I have reported on rampant sand mining in Chambal and Narmada, pharmaceutical companies supplying medicines under altered names, the dire condition of schools and colleges, the plight of commercial sex workers, and skewed sex ratios in specific districts. Beyond deadlines, and as HT’s state correspondent and assistant editor in Madhya Pradesh, I engage with ministers, farmers, students, and activists, believing the best policy stories begin with a single human voice. A postgraduate in Journalism and Mass Communication, I also hold a diploma in sports journalism.Read More

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