Ganjam bus tragedy: OSRTC bus driver arrested by police

A day after the tragic bus mishap at Digapahandi in which 11 lives were lost, police on Tuesday arrested the driver of the OSRTC bus. The driver, Manas Pradhan, who had allegedly escaped to Bhubaneswar, was arrested by Digapahandi Police from the smart city yesterday.

The accident occurred when an OSRTC bus and a private bus collided head-on near Digapahandi. While the OSRTC bus was en-route Bhubaneswar from Gudari, Rayagada, the private bus was returning from Berhampur, carrying a marriage party of around 25 passengers from Khandadeuli village in the district.

Most of the victims of the Digapahandi bus tragedy are the family members and relatives of former Berhampur MP Renubala Pradhan.

Ganjam RTO on Monday informed that the private bus did not have a permit and insurance. Though the bus had a fitness certificate, it doesn’t have the requisite permit and insurance to ply during the night.

OSRTC driver Manas Pradhan said, “We are two bus drivers in the bus. I was driving while the other one was sleeping. I was driving on the right side and I have not dozed off on the steering wheel. I was driving slowly and there were 24 passengers in the bus.”

When asked why he fled to Bhubaneswar after the accident, Pradhan said, “I had got treatment at Digapahandi and later boarded a bus and reached Bhubaneswar for further treatment. I also got a little scared. I had not consumed liquor. I was driving at a speed of 40 km/hr. I have been driving for the past 20 years and engaged with OSRTC for last two years”