The Hindu : Kerala News : KSRTC bus set afire, driver hurt

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Monday, Oct 01, 2007
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Kerala

Kerala

KSRTC bus set afire, driver hurt

Staff Reporter

Motive behind the incident not immediately known

Photo: S. Mahinsha

Sifting for clues: Scientific experts examining the bus which was set ablaze at Iruvaikonam near Neyyattinkara on Sunday. -

Neyyattinkara: A Kerala State Transport Corporation’s (KSRTC) bus was partially gutted after unidentified persons set on fire the bus at Iruvaikonam near here after tying the hands of the driver who was sleeping inside the vehicle in the wee hours on Sunday.

The driver Vijayambaraj, who suffered 40 per cent burns in the incident that took place at 3.20 a.m., was admitted to the Thiruvananthapuram Medical College Hospital (MCH) and is reportedly out of danger.

Seats destroyed

The seats of the bus attached to the Poovar depot was destroyed in the incident. The smoke that billowed from the rear of the bus blackened the wind shields. Local people sprayed water and succeeded in preventing the fire from spreading to the front portion.

The incident occurred in front of the house of former panchayat member B. Sidharthan on the Neyyattinkara-Neilomood road.

Mr. Vijayambaraj parked the bus a couple of feet away from Mr. Sidharthan’s house which is located opposite the Kirshi Bhavan, Thirupuram, around 11.15 p.m. on Saturday. Bus conductor Prasannan went to sleep in a building on the backside of the Krishi Bhavan.

“Around 3.15 a.m., I woke up hearing a call for help from outside. When I opened the door, I found that fire had engulfed the rear side of the bus. I rushed to the spot and found the driver who was shouting for help lying amidst the banana plantations,” Mr. Sidharthan said.

The former panchayat member said he immediately informed the Poovar police and tried to douse the fire by pouring water. Soon the neighbours too joined him.

The police team which arrived on the spot took the injured driver to the MCH. The KSRTC bus was to proceed from here at 5.15 a.m. to Thiruvananthapuram central via Nellimood and Kanjiramkulam.

Diesel pilferage

According to KSRTC officials, drivers of KSRTC stay buses had been asked to stay in the buses to check increasing incidents of pilferage of diesel in the areas under the Poovar depot. Initial investigations by the police pointed out that the motive behind the incident was not theft or pilferage of diesel. The police found that the rope used to tie the hands of the driver was taken from a banner.

The police also found that Mr. Vijayambaraj, an ex-serviceman, came for duty on Saturday for another driver.

‘Mistaken identity’

The police are trying to find out whether mistaken identity led to the incident.

One of the drivers who come for duty in the stay bus is married from the locality and is learnt to have some problems.

Scientific experts visited the spot and collected evidence from the bus. The Poovar police have registered a case and a team led by Circle Inspector R. Pratapan is investigating it.

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