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The police on Tuesday informed a local court that they needed to probe whether Sanjay More, the driver of a bus involved in a fatal accident that killed seven people and injured 42 others in Mumbai, deliberately used the vehicle as a “weapon” to commit the act, news agency PTI reported. The court remanded the 54-year-old driver to police custody until December 21 to facilitate the probe.
The incident occurred on Monday around 9.30 pm in Kurla. The bus, operated by the civic-run Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST), struck multiple vehicles and pedestrians in a densely populated area.
More was detained on the spot and later arrested. He faces charges under sections 105 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) and 110 (attempt to commit culpable homicide) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, as well as relevant sections of the Motor Vehicles Act.
During the court hearing, the police argued that the alleged crime was of a serious nature, warranting a thorough investigation into More’s intentions.
They emphasised the need to determine if the bus was deliberately driven recklessly to endanger lives. The police also stated that they would examine if More had undergone proper training, if he was under the influence of narcotics at the time, and if there was any conspiracy behind the incident.
The police noted that the transport department had yet to conduct a technical examination of the bus involved in the accident. They further highlighted the need to establish whether More, with possession of the vehicle, weaponised it in a congested urban area.
However, More’s defence lawyer, Samadhan Sulane, opposed the police’s plea, arguing that the accident could have been caused by a technical fault in the bus, such as a mechanical failure or a short circuit.
He contended that it was the responsibility of the administration to ensure the vehicles were roadworthy before assigning them to drivers. Sulane also asserted that More was properly trained and had a clean track record, regularly driving the bus without prior incidents.
(with inputs from PTI)