Jaisalmer bus fire: Driver and owner arrested; SIT formed

The Rajasthan Police on Thursday have arrested the bus driver Shaukat and owner Turab Ali in connection with the recent bus accident in Jaisalmer which claimed the lives of 22 people and left several others injured officials saidBoth were detained for questioning on Wednesday night and their arrests were confirmed following questioning by the policeJaisalmer Superintendent of Police SP Abhishek Shivhare said that two complaints were filed one by Chandan Singh the brother of deceased Rajendra Singh Chauhan and another by Jagdish the brother of deceased Gopilal DarjiActing on these complaints police registered cases and initiated further proceedings in the matterA Special Investigation Team SIT has been constituted to thoroughly examine all aspects of the incidentThe team led by Jaisalmer Assistant Superintendent of Police ASP Kailashdan Jugtawat includes Deputy Roop Singh Inda Nachana Station House Officer SHO Butaram Sadar SHO Surjaram and Assistant SubInspector Rajendra KumarThe SIT will probe the accidents cause possible technical faults the drivers role and any criminal negligenceInvestigators are also assessing the buss speed condition and compliance with safety standards at the time of the fireSP Shivhare said that the final report will take time as multiple elements are under scrutinySince the bus was manufactured in Chittorgarh details are being collected from thereThe investigation will also incorporate victims statements forensic reports and technical evidenceAccording to preliminary findings 35 passengers were aboard the bus of which 22 have died and 13 others were injured currently being treated in JodhpurThe DNA samples from 18 of the 19 recovered bodies have been obtained with one pending confirmationFurther legal action will depend on the SITs findings which will determine whether the tragedy resulted from human error or mechanical failureTwo FIRs have been filed so farRajasthan Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma has announced compensation for victims families Rs 25 lakh for families with three or more deaths Rs 10 lakh per person for one or two deaths Rs 2 lakh for seriously injured individuals and Rs 1 lakh for those with minor injuriesMeanwhile victims families have held a protest at Jodhpurs Mahatma Gandhi Hospital demanding higher compensation and refusing to accept the deceased bodiesThe death toll rose to 22 after 54yearold Bhaga Bano died on Thursday morningFive patients remain on ventilators and postmortem and DNA procedures are underwayThe fire incident occurred on October 14 when a private AC sleeper bus travelling from Jaisalmer to Jodhpur caught fire around 330 pm killing 19 people on the spotThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever