At least 11 people were killed when a Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) Shivshahi bus met with an accident near Khajari- Dawwa in the Arjuni taluka of Gondia district. An inquiry committee has been formed under the leadership of Nagpur Deputy Regional Transport Officer Vijay Chavan to investigate the incident.
The committee conducted a detailed investigation over 10 days and recently submitted its final report to Transport Commissioner Vivek Bhimanwar. The report blames the bus driver for the accident.
Following the tragic incident, the corporation faced widespread criticism. Questions were raised about the fitness of Shivshahi buses. Passengers also experienced an atmosphere of fear. In response, the Transport Department took the matter seriously and formed two inquiry committees.
At the district level, a committee was chaired by Shyam Tiwaskar, Assistant Deputy Regional Transport Officer of Gondia. A separate committee at the divisional level was led by Nagpur Deputy Regional Transport Officer Vijay Chavan. The Gondia-based committee recently submitted its report to Chavan. He then consolidated the two inquiry reports into a joint submission to Transport Commissioner Vivek Bhimanwar.
The report holds the bus driver responsible for the accident. It also questions how the driver continued to be employed despite previous incidents. As a result, actions will be taken against the driver and responsible officials of the state transport corporation.
To ensure a thorough investigation, a third-party inquiry is being conducted by an NGO based in Mumbai. The committee arrived in Nagpur on Monday. Members visited the accident site in Khajari and gathered details about the reasons behind the crash. They are expected to submit their findings to the transport commissioner soon.