Bus booking manager arrested after fatal Greater Noida fire

Police in Greater Noida have arrested the booking manager of Raj Kalpana Travels after one of the company’s buses caught fire on the Yamuna Expressway, killing nine passengers. The bus was travelling to Mahoba in Uttar Pradesh when it burst into flames on the night of September 23. It had about 35 passengers aboard and was approximately five kilometres from Noida International Airport when the fire began.

Police identified the arrested manager as Vikas Kumar, 42, from Kanpur. An officer said an analysis of call records showed that passengers had contacted Kumar to report smoke and fire before the blaze, but that he failed to take action. He has been charged with negligence.

According to the first information report, passengers noticed a burning smell from the driver’s cabin at about 11.30 p.m. and repeatedly asked the crew to stop. The driver allegedly dismissed the smell as a common occurrence and did not stop to inspect the bus.

Police had earlier arrested two drivers and a conductor in connection with the incident. All four accused were produced before the District and Sessions Court in Surajpur on Friday and were remanded in judicial custody for 14 days. Breathalyser tests carried out on the two drivers and the conductor were negative, police said.

The investigation has therefore also focused on the reported warnings from passengers and the response of the bus crew and company personnel. Three additional victims were identified on Friday, and their bodies were handed over to their families. A senior police officer said the remains were severely burnt and were identified through DNA testing, together with verification of physical features by relatives.