Mumbai BEST bus accident: Accused driver seeks bail, blames congested road; says no criminal intent
Mumbai (PTI): The BEST bus driver involved in an accident in which four people were killed last month has sought bail claiming the road was crowded and encroached upon by hawkers, causing him to lose control of the vehicle.
The driver, in his plea filed before the sessions court, asserted he did not cause the accident intentionally and has not committed any crime in the past.
The Olectra Greentech-make electric bus of Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) undertaking crashed into pedestrians near Bhandup railway station on the night of December 29, killing four people and injuring 10 others.
Driver Santosh Sawant (52) was later arrested by Bhandup police and is currently in judicial custody. He was held under relevant sections of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and Motor Vehicles Act for negligent driving.
Sawant claimed he is innocent and has been falsely implicated due to the unfortunate nature of the incident.
Narrating the circumstances of the accident, he said the road was narrow, crowded, and encroached upon by hawkers.
Sawant claimed he attempted to save a rickshaw as well as pedestrians who suddenly appeared, causing him to lose control of the bus.
There was no criminal intent, he said in his plea, which will be next heard on January 13.
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Naval information leak case: Fourth accused held
Udupi (Karnataka) (PTI): The Udupi police have arrested another accused in a case involving the alleged transmission of confidential information related to the Indian Navy to Pakistan, taking the total number of arrests to four, officials said on Thursday.
The arrested accused has been identified as Alif Islam (21), a native of West Bengal, who was presently residing at Marayur village in Idukki district of Kerala, they said.
He was apprehended in connection with the alleged leak of a confidential list containing identification numbers of Indian naval vessels, police said.
According to investigators, the accused are suspected to have shared sensitive information through WhatsApp and Facebook with contacts in Pakistan without authorisation.
The case was registered at Malpe police station in 2025 following a complaint regarding the alleged illegal transmission of naval-related data, officials said.
Police said the investigation pertains to the alleged sharing of a classified list of ship numbers linked to the Indian Navy.
In November 2025, two accused -- Rohit and Santri from Uttar Pradesh -- were taken into custody in connection with the same case. Later, Hirendra Kumar from Gujarat was arrested in December 2025.
With the latest arrest, the number of persons held in the case has risen to four.
Police said one more accused is yet to be apprehended. The operator of the Facebook page allegedly used to transmit the information also remains at large.
Investigators suspect that Islam may be a Bangladeshi national, and efforts are on to verify his citizenship and other credentials.
Further investigation is under way, police added.
