Go die, won't stop vehicle: UP bus driver laughed at passengers' pleas

The FIR alleges the bus driver ignored repeated warnings about a burning smell, refused to stop and told passengers, "Go die, we will not stop the bus," as flames erupted. Nine passengers were killed, while police detained two drivers and a conductor.Firefighters at the site after a sleeper bus caught fire on the Yamuna Expressway. (Image: PTI)The driver of the bus that caught fire on the Yamuna Expressway in Greater Noida allegedly ignored repeated warnings from passengers about a burning smell and refused to stop the vehicle even as flames erupted in the vehicle, according to the FIR accessed exclusively by India Today.A moving sleeper bus carrying around 30-35 passengers caught fire on the Yamuna Expressway in Greater Noida late Wednesday night, killing nine people, including one woman and eight men.The FIR was registered on the complaint of Sunil Kumar, a passenger travelling on the bus. According to his complaint, he boarded Raj Kalpana Travels' bus, bearing registration number BR32PA8647, from Delhi to Mahoba. Around 30-35 passengers were on board.At around 11.30 pm, when the bus reached near kilometre 33 of the Noida-Agra route on the Yamuna Expressway, passengers noticed a burning smell coming from the driver's cabin. Some passengers alerted the driver and conductor about the smell, the FIR says. The driver dismissed their concerns, saying that such a burning smell was common on the bus.Despite the warning, the driver did not stop the bus to check the issue, according to the FIR. It further alleges that the driver and conductor continued smoking cigarettes in the cabin. Shortly afterwards, flames suddenly erupted near the driver's seat.Passengers started shouting and asking the driver to stop the bus. The FIR alleges that the driver and conductor were laughing among themselves and refused to stop despite repeated pleas from passengers. They told the passengers, "Go die, we will not stop the bus."By then, the fire had rapidly spread through the bus and smoke had filled the passenger area.After the bus stopped, Sunil Kumar and several other passengers tried to escape. Kumar and several others managed to jump out, while some passengers remained trapped inside because of the fire and smoke.Several passengers suffered serious burn injuries and were taken to Kailash Hospital in Jewar. The FIR says that when Sunil Kumar reached the hospital, he learnt that doctors had declared nine people dead.The complaint alleges that the driver and conductor had been warned about the burning smell but failed to take necessary precautions or stop the bus in time. It alleges that their conduct amounted to gross negligence towards the safety of the passengers.The FIR also says that passengers repeatedly requested the driver and conductor to stop the bus, but they did not do so.DRIVER, CONDUCTOR FLED AFTER FIRE BROKE OUTAccording to the FIR, the driver and conductor fled the spot after the fire broke out.People at the scene tried to help passengers escape from the burning bus. An attempt was made to use a fire extinguisher to put out the flames, but it did not work.As voices could be heard from inside the bus, people used the fire extinguisher to break a windowpane in an attempt to rescue passengers.A passenger travelling from Delhi to Mahoba recalled how he escaped after someone woke him up and alerted him about the fire."We were sleeping. Someone came and woke us up, saying that the bus had caught fire. We got out and ran," he said.Recalling his escape, the passenger said there was barely any space to get out as the bus was filled with smoke."There was no proper way to get out. There was a lot of smoke. Somehow, in our panic, we managed to get out," he said.He said passengers began getting out as soon as they were alerted, with each person trying to escape in whatever way possible. The passenger, who was seated at the very back of the bus, said the fire had started towards the front."The fire started from the front. My seat was at the very back," he said.Another passenger, Rinki Rajput, said she was travelling from Noida to her home in Rath when the bus caught fire. She said she was asleep when someone knocked on her gate and alerted her."I did not pick up any of my belongings. I did not even wear my shoes. I just picked up my phone and came out," Rinki said.Rinki described the situation inside the bus as chaotic, with passengers pushing each other as they struggled to escape."There was so much crowd that people were pushing each other. I somehow came out while being pushed around. Someone pulled me out. I don't remember much after that. There was smoke everywhere," she said.TWO DRIVERS, CONDUCTOR DETAINEDPolice detained two drivers and a conductor in connection with the bus fire.They were identified as Pawan Kumar, Yogesh Dixit, and Rohit, all three from Kanpur.Pawan Kumar and Yogesh Dixit are drivers, while Rohit is conductor.BUS OWNER FROM MP, VEHICLE REGISTERED IN BIHAR, GOT PUC FROM HARYANAAccording to the details available in connection with the accident, the bus owner is a resident of Chhatarpur, Madhya Pradesh. The bus was operated by Raj Kalpana Travels from Madhya Pradesh.The bus was registered with the Transport Department in Madhubani district of Bihar.The bus operated on the Kashmiri Gate-New Delhi to Mahoba route. Its fitness certificate was issued by the competent authority in Rajasthan, while its pollution certificate was issued in Haryana.BUS HAD SEVERAL UNPAID CHALLANSThe bus involved in the incident had several unpaid challans on it.On April 7, a challan of Rs 6,900 was issued after the driver was found speeding on the expressway without a driving licence and without a uniform.On August 19, a Rs 15,000 challan was issued for having no permit.Other challans issued against the bus included Rs 10,000 on July 21, Rs 4,000 on June 15, Rs 10,500 on May 14, Rs 500 on May 6, Rs 5,000 on March 1, Rs 500 on February 21 and Rs 12,000 on January 19.- EndsPublished By: Akshat TrivediPublished On: Sep 24, 2026 13:27 IST