Berhampur (Odisha), Jun 27 (PTI) Police on Tuesday arrested the driver of the state-owned Odisha State Road Transport Corporation (OSRTC) bus which was involved in the accident that claimed 12 lives and left eight injured near Digapahandi in Ganjam district on Sunday night.
Manas Pradhan (40) of Gopalpur in Cuttack district was arrested after interrogation, said Berhampur SP Saravana Vivek M.
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Pradhan, who also sustained injuries, was treated at Digapahandi hospital first. He was going to Bhubaneswar for further treatment.
The driver of the mini-bus, which was also involved in the accident, was not arrested. He is currently undergoing treatment at MKCG Medical College and Hospital here, the SP said.
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The mini-bus driver was identified as Kedar Pradhan (35) of Phasiguda near Digapahandi, he said.
The mini-bus carrying around 20 members of a marriage party, which was returning from Berhampur to Khandadeuli, collided head-on with the OSRTC bus near Khemundi College, Digapahandi.
Family members and relatives of the bride were on their way to attend the reception of the groom in the night when the accident took place.
Though the exact cause of the accident was yet to be ascertained, police ruled out drunken driving.
“Preliminary inquiry has revealed that the drivers had not consumed liquor,” the SP said.
Speeding might have been the cause of the accident, police suspected.
The five-member crash investigating team of the state government visited the accident spot twice, said Manas Sahoo, regional transport officer (RTO), Ganjam.
After preliminary inquiry, the RTO said the 22-seater mini-bus has no permit to run in Berhampur and the insurance of the vehicle had also lapsed. The 25-year old vehicle, which was registered in Koraput, has permission to run between Chikiti and Digapahandi, he said.
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