Press Report Officer of Mahendergarh Police station confirmed True To Life
on 12th April, 2024 that six children from a school in Mahendergarh district,
Haryana, died on Thursday morning when a speeding school bus, driven by a
man suspected of being drunk, veered off the road, hit a tree, and flipped over.
Nineteen other children were injured in the accident.
Sumit Kumar, PRO Mahendergarh PS said True to Life, “As the survivors said
the driver of the bus, Dharmender was drunk while driving. His medico-legal
test confirmed it on 12th February. Driver has been taken for remand for
further interrogation. Dharmender was arrested at the scene. Later in the day,
the principal of GL Public School in Kanina village, Deepti Rao, and the
school secretary, Hoshiyar Singh, were also taken into custody.”
Officials reported that 12 children are currently receiving treatment at a
hospital in Rewari, three are at another private hospital in Rewari, and four are
in Gurugram. The remaining 12 children have been discharged. The victims,
consisting of five boys and a girl, have been identified as Satyam (16), Yuvraj
(14), brothers Yashu (15) and Anshu (13) from Jharli village, and Vansh (14)
and Rinki (15) from Dhanonda village. Haryana Education Minister Seema
Trikha visited the injured and reported that most of the injured children are in
stable condition, except for a girl who is undergoing treatment in the ICU for a
brain haemorrhage.
The investigation into the tragic school bus accident in Unhani village revealed
serious lapses in the bus’s documentation, including the absence of a fitness
certificate and high-security registration plate, despite being fined for these
violations previously. The bus, driven by Dharmender, was carrying 37
students towards Kanina when it veered off the road near a Hafed godown.
Survivors reported that the bus was travelling at a high speed before crashing
into a tree and flipping over, resulting in the loss of six lives and injuring several
others.
All three individuals were charged under various sections of the Indian Penal
Code, including those related to abetment, criminal conspiracy, culpable
homicide, endangering life, and causing hurt through negligent or reckless
actions.
Mahendergarh superintendent of police (SP) Arsh Verma stated that
documents indicated the bus’s fitness certificate had expired six years ago.
Haryana Transport Minister Aseem Goel attributed negligence to the school in
this incident. He announced that all vehicles in the state would undergo fitness
tests and suspended the assistant secretary of the Narnaul regional transport
authority, Pardeep Kumar, in response.
Injured students reported he called the school principal approximately 50
minutes earlier to complain about the driver’s alleged drunkenness. However,
the principal, Rao, dismissed their concerns, assuring them that everything
would be fine and instructing them to come to school. Additionally, it remains
unclear why the school was open on Eid-ul-Fitr, a national holiday.
Haryana Education Minister Seema Trikha stated that show cause notices had
been issued to all schools that were open on Thursday. There has been no
immediate response from the school. Mahendergarh Deputy Commissioner
Monika Gupta revealed that they have reached out to the Haryana Board of
School Education and the state government to terminate the school’s affiliation
due to conducting classes on a gazetted holiday.
President Droupadi Murmu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and Haryana
Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini expressed heartfelt condolences for the tragic
loss of innocent children in the school bus accident in Mahendergarh district,
Haryana. They pledged support for the bereaved families and emphasised swift
recovery for the injured, with Saini promising strict action against those
responsible and comprehensive assistance for affected families and students.
By: Ankitaa Bal
From Kolkata
Reporting for ‘True to Life’
Truetolifenews dosen’t take any responsibility for this article