LUDHIANA: A day after a 5-year-old nursery student was crushed to death by his own school bus outside his house in Manjaliya village, both the driver and cleaner of the bus were arrested on Tuesday for allegedly causing death due to negligence.
The toddler, identified as Jasvir Singh, was hit while crossing the road after being dropped by the bus. He was rushed to a nearby private hospital where he was declared dead.
By late evening, the Doraha police had booked the bus driver and cleaner under charges of causing death by negligence.
The boy studied in a private school and had two elder sisters.
According to information, the school bus used to pick up Jasvir from his house in the village at 9am and drop him back by 2pm. According to the rules under 'Safe School Vahan' scheme, the bus attendant had to help the student cross the road. However, on Monday the attendant did not do so. As soon as Jasvir got down from the school bus, the driver started the vehicle following which the toddler was crushed under the bus.
Jasvir's grandfather
Karam Singh, 64, who witnessed the incident, said, "I was coming out of the house to receive Jasvir. Meanwhile, the driver started the vehicle as soon as the attendant helped Jasvir get down. Jasvir was crushed first under the front tyres and then under rare tyres of the bus.
On hearing the screams of Jasvir, Karam Singh, his grandmother Amarjeet Kaur and mother
Satvinder Kaur rushed outside. The boy was badly injured and rushed to a hospital. The driver sped away.
At the hospital, the doctors declared the toddler dead.
Grandfather Karam Singh said, "We also want an FIR lodged against the school principal and management. Earlier too, we had approached the school management with a complaint that the bus driver and attendant do not handle kids well. Rather taking action, the authorities told us to get our children admitted in some other school if we were not satisfied with the services."
Inspector Manjit Singh, SHO, Doraha police station, said the police have booked school bus driver Gurmail Singh of Mehdoodan village, Samrala, and attendant Karam Singh of
Sultanpur village of
Samrala under Sections 279 (rash driving) and 304-A (causing death by negligence) of the IPC.
The SHO said the police arrested both the accused on Tuesday.
Asked about the action against the school authorities, the inspector said the police will investigate the role of the school management. The official said he is unaware of the rules of 'Safe School Vahan' policy.
Representative Image
