Mumbai Court Denies Bail To Driver Of Fatal BEST Bus Crash In Kurla

Mumbai, 10th January 2025: A Mumbai court on Friday denied bail to Sanjay More, the driver of the BEST bus involved in the fatal crash on December 9, which resulted in the deaths of nine people and injuries to over 40 in the Kurla area.

The electric bus from the Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) ran into multiple vehicles on SG Barve Road late at night. More were arrested under the provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. The additional sessions judge, VM Pathade, rejected More’s bail request, though the court’s detailed order has not yet been released.

In his plea, filed through advocate Samadhan Sulane, More argued that the accident was caused by a mechanical fault in the bus and that his arrest was unjustified. However, the prosecution asserted that no technical malfunction was found in the bus. After hearing arguments from both sides, Judge Pathade denied bail.

Mumbai RTO officials suspect “human error” and insufficient “training” as possible causes of the tragic incident. The Wadala Regional Transport Office (RTO) inspection of the Olectra-made electric bus revealed that its brakes were functioning properly. Initially, brake failure was considered a potential cause, and More’s family had also suggested this, along with claiming he had not been drinking alcohol.

An official, speaking anonymously, stated that the RTO team confirmed the bus’s brakes were operational. However, further investigations are needed, and additional details have been requested from both Olectra and BEST. The official also noted that drivers without experience in operating automatic transmission buses may struggle with acceleration and braking, leading to poor judgment. Thus, human error is considered a likely factor in the accident.