Driver commits suicide, HRTC orders inquiry

The Himachal Pradesh Transport Corporation (HRTC) management has ordered an inquiry into the suicide by one of its drivers, Sanjay Kumar, in its Mandi division. Besides ordering the inquiry, HRTC Managing Director Rohan Chand Thakur has also issued orders to attach Vinod Kumar, who was serving as Regional Manager, Dharampur, to Divisional Office, Mandi, till further orders.

The orders have come after a video had gone viral on social media on Monday evening, in which the deceased driver was seen accusing the Regional Manager of harassment while he was admitted in a hospital. Taking note of the viral video, HRTC Managing Director Rohan Chand Thakur has ordered an inquiry by Divisional Manager, Mandi, into the incident.

In the preliminary inquiry, the inquiry officer has rejected the allegations made by the deceased against the HRTC’s regional unit. In the report, the inquiry officer has said that the allegation made by the deceased that he had not been paid salary for four month was found to be incorrect. The report further mentions that he had gone on leave without the approval of the department on January 7.

The inquiry officer had been asked to look into the allegations made by the deceased and very its authenticity, and to investigate the role and conduct of the management of the local unit.