Rampura bus fire: SHO transferred

Tribune News Service

Bathinda, May 16

Rampura City police station SHO Kamaljit Singh has been transferred. Although the police are claiming that it was a routine affair, in all quarters, it is seen as a result of a major flip flop done by the police in registering the case in the bus fire incident.

As earlier, the driver of the bus was registered under Section 304A of the IPC in which he was arrested and got bail on the spot. 

Later, the police changed it to Section 304, which is a non-bailable offence and the driver was again arrested on Monday. 

Accused driver Charanjit Singh was today presented in the court. He was sent in judicial custody for 14 days till May 30. 

It is also learnt that the police are also probing the permit of the bus.

Almost three days have passed but the identification of the three persons, who died in the incident, has not been done yet.

Rampura Civil Hospital SMO Amrik Singh said people were coming from various cities but nobody had been able to identify the bodies yet. The bodies are in police custody and the post-mortem would be done after the police allow it, the SMO added. 

He said four patients whose treatment was going on here had been referred to the Bathinda Civil Hospital. Rampura DSP Jaswinder Singh termed the transfer a routine affair of the department. Sahara Group Punjab president Sandeep Verma said more steps should be initiated for the identification of bodies. 

He said many people had called to know about the missing family members from various cities, even from other states as well. 

The police have demanded another 3 days to keep the bodies in mortuary. 

Rampura City police station SHO Daljit Singh said Surjeet Singh, a resident of Akalia village, had claimed one of the deceased to be his brother Malkit, who was a van driver. The DNA test of the body would be conducted before cremation.