Drunk since morning, bus driver still put on duty: Hinjewadi crash probe
The Pimpri-Chinchwad police on Tuesday confirmed that the driver, Nagnath Gujar, 36, not only tested positive for alcohol but also confessed to drinking hours before he was put on duty
A probe into the Hinjewadi accident that killed three school-going siblings on Monday has revealed that the bus driver had been under the influence of alcohol since morning that day and was still allowed to take charge of the company bus during evening peak hours.
The Pimpri-Chinchwad police on Tuesday confirmed that the driver, Nagnath Gujar, 36, not only tested positive for alcohol but also confessed to drinking hours before he was put on duty.
The incident occurred around Panchratna Chowk, one of the busiest intersections in Hinjewadi phase 1, shortly after schools had dispersed and office traffic had begun to swell. Gujar’s vehicle, a privately operated employee-transport bus belonging to Maitreya Travels, was moving towards Wakad when he first rammed a two-wheeler before veering onto the footpath, mowing down pedestrians in the bargain.
Police officials said that signs of negligence emerged within minutes of Gujar’s medical examination Monday evening with blood reports showing alcohol levels significantly beyond permissible limits. What deepened the seriousness of the case was Gujar’s own admission. A Pimpri-Chinchwad police officer said, “During interrogation, he confessed that he had consumed alcohol in the morning. Yet, he was allowed to join duty during evening peak hours.”
Investigators are now trying to ascertain how frequently Gujar reported on duty in an intoxicated state and whether the transport operator had any monitoring mechanism at all. “We are checking how many times he had consumed alcohol before joining his shift and whether any supervisor ignored the warning signs,” another police officer said.
By late Monday night, the Hinjewadi police registered an FIR against four persons, including Gujar, the owner of Maitreya Travels, the subcontractor handling operations, and the manager responsible for the driver’s security check at the Hinjewadi pickup point. The four were booked under sections 105, 125(a), 125(b), and 324(4)(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, along with section 3 of the Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act, 1984.
By Tuesday morning, the police arrested the company manager, Bhausaheb Ghomal, who allegedly permitted Gujar to drive the bus despite knowing he had consumed alcohol. Gujar had already been arrested in the case. Both were produced before a magistrate and remanded to police custody till Thursday. Investigators said that the role of the transport operator and the subcontractor is now under close scrutiny, including whether routine fitness checks and breathalyser screenings were conducted at all. Repeated attempts to contact Maitreya Travels’ Chakan office were unsuccessful. A person responding on the company line refused to share any information and disconnected the call.
The accident on Monday killed three siblings — Suraj, 6; Archana, 9; and Priya, 16 — who were returning from school with their elder sister; sparking anger among area residents who pointed out that private contract buses often speed through narrow lanes sans any regulations. The same accident left motorcycle rider Avinash Haridas Chavan, 26, critically injured; and pedestrian Vimal Raju Ozarkar, 40, undergoing treatment. The surviving sister, Riya, 17, suffered minor injuries.
A tragic accident in Hinjewadi claimed the lives of three school siblings when a bus driver, Nagnath Gujar, tested positive for alcohol and confessed to drinking prior to his shift. Police have arrested Gujar and a company manager for negligence, prompting an investigation into Maitreya Travels’ oversight of drivers. The incident has raised concerns about safety regulations for private transport.