Owner of minibus in Assam accident that killed 26 arrested

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma visits an accident site after a head-on collision between a minibus and a container truck near Kaziranga National Park on Friday, in Kaziranga, Saturday, November 14, 2026. | Photo Credit: PTI The police arrested the owner of the minibus involved in the fatal accident near Kaziranga National Park from central Assam’s Nagaon district on Sunday (November 15, 2026).The accident on Friday (November 13, 2026) claimed 26 lives, including that of the 64-year-old driver and some college students, while 15 others are battling for their lives in two hospitals, one in Jorhat district and one in Golaghat district.The accident site is in Golaghat district.Police said they arrested Anjir Ali, the minibus owner, amid an investigation into multiple alleged traffic violations and safety lapses involving the vehicle. They suspect the owner tampered with the vehicle’s mandatory speed regulator to make it log more trips.Golaghat’s Senior Superintendent of Police, Swapnanil Deka, said the minibus had violated speed restrictions near and beyond Kaziranga National Park on earlier occasions.According to traffic violation records, the minibus was fined ₹4,000 in Jorhat on March 3, 2026, for moving at 102 km per hour. The owner had paid ₹38,500 to clear 12 traffic challans, while a ₹4,000 penalty remained pending.“The outstanding amount is the applicable fine in Assam for over-speeding by a commercial vehicle,” Mr. Deka said, adding that the driver could have lost control of the vehicle before it collided with the container truck. Published - November 15, 2026 06:48 pm IST