Free for now: Neglectful bus owner granted bail

HYDERABAD:

Muhammad Vakil Rajput, the owner of the bus that caught fire in Matiari about a week ago, was awarded a pre-arrest arrest bail by the third additional and district court in Hyderabad on Wednesday.

The vehicle caught fire on December 7 after a CNG cylinder that had been fitted under the passenger seats began to leak. The inferno led to the deaths of 11 people, including ten children. Muhammad Hashim lost his wife and five daughters in the incident. His brother lodged an FIR against Rajput and the driver of the van, Ramesh Bheel. The court has granted the bail to Rajput till December 17.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 16^th, 2011.