Kurla bus tragedy: Court denies bail to accused driver again
Mumbai (PTI): A court here on Friday denied bail to the driver of the BEST bus, which was involved in an accident that killed nine persons and left 42 others injured four months back, saying the offence was serious in nature.
This was the second time the court denied bail to accused driver Sanjay More.
His fresh bail application was rejected by additional sessions judge V G Raghuwanshi.
The bus, operated by the civic-run Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) undertaking, hit several vehicles and pedestrians after the driver lost control over the wheels on the S G Barve Marg in Kurla (West) around 9.30 pm on December 10.
Following the incident, the driver was arrested for offences committed under provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
More made a fresh application for bail after the police filed the fresh chargesheet, stating the investigation was complete.
The bail plea said his further incarceration was unwarranted and that he had been "falsely implicated" in the case.
The accused claimed that Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) section 110 (attempt to commit culpable homicide) is not attracted in this case as there was "no intention to cause harm".
His plea termed the accident as "unfortunate".
The driver was given only three days of training to operate an electric bus, in spite of the mandatory requirement of 15 days, it said.
The prosecution, however, contended that there was no mechanical fault in the bus.
More had driven an electric bus for 728 kilometres. Therefore, he cannot say that proper training was not imparted to him, the prosecution submitted.
It said the informant, who is a police officer, witnessed the incident and according to him the bus was "being driven in a rash and reckless manner". The prosecution further submitted that the applicant had no psychological problem nor was he intoxicated at the time of incident.
After hearing both sides, the court noted that the previous bail order recorded "reasons in details" and there was "no change in circumstances".
"The offence is very serious, in which nine persons were killed, several persons were injured and several vehicles were damaged. This is not a fit case to exercise discretion in favour of the applicant," it added.
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Trump pauses Project Freedom, claims great progress for final agreement with Iran
Washington (PTI): President Donald Trump has suspended “Project Freedom,” to escort ships through the Strait of Hormuz, claiming progress in negotiations with Iran toward an agreement to end the war.
In a post on Truth Social on Tuesday, Trump said, “Great progress has been made toward a complete and final agreement with representatives of Iran.”
“Based on the request of Pakistan and other Countries, the tremendous Military Success that we have had during the Campaign against the Country of Iran and, additionally, the fact that Great Progress has been made toward a Complete and Final Agreement with Representatives of Iran, we have mutually agreed that, while the Blockade will remain in full force and effect, Project Freedom (The Movement of Ships through the Strait of Hormuz) will be paused for a short period of time to see whether or not the Agreement can be finalized and signed," Trump said.
Project Freedom was launched on Monday to escort ships, stranded due to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, out to safety. Trump had announced the operation on Sunday and the US Central Command began implementing it the next day.
However, the Project led to friction in the vicinity of the narrow seaway, a key route for transporting one-fifth of the global oil supplies, with the UAE claiming that its ships were attacked by Iran. The US also claimed to have destroyed several Iranian small boats.
Trump’s statement on Truth Social came hours after US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that Operation Epic Fury, launched on February 28, had concluded as its objectives have been achieved.
"Operation Epic Fury is concluded. We achieved the objectives of that operation. We're not cheering for an additional situation to occur. We would prefer the path of peace. What @POTUS would prefer is a deal... that is, so far, not the route that Iran has chosen," Rubio told a press conference at the White House on Tuesday.
On Project Freedom, Rubio said the goal was to rescue almost 23,000 civilians from 87 different countries who were trapped inside the Persian Gulf and left for dead by the Iranian regime.
"This is not an offensive operation. This is a defensive operation, and what that means is very simple: there’s no shooting unless we're shot at first. We’re not attacking them, but if they're attacking us or they’re attacking a ship, you need to respond to that," Rubio said.
