Engineer and former VNIT topper killed as Sanjay Travels bus hits his bicycle in Nagpur's Bajajnagar

A bus collision in Nagpur has claimed the life of a promising engineer, sending shockwaves through the city. The deceased is Sarvesh Karolikar, 34, a former engineering topper at VNIT. His death has once again raised questions about the safety of Sanjay Travels buses.

The accident took place at around 10.30 am on October 26 on RPTS Road in the Bajajnagar area, near Asli Coffee Cafe. Sarvesh was riding a bicycle when a Sanjay Travels bus with Madhya Pradesh registration number MP-20-ZV-0651 hit him hard. He was seriously injured.

Sarvesh was first admitted to Swasthyam Hospital and later shifted to Vivekanand Hospital for further treatment. He died there during treatment on Monday. The bus driver is alleged to have fled the spot after the accident. Bajajnagar police have added Section 106 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita to the case.

It is reported that this is not the first accident involving a Sanjay Travels bus. On September 9, a bus of the same company hit a two-wheeler at Vaishnodevi Chowk in Nagpur. A woman and her four-year-old daughter were seriously injured.

Earlier still, on June 4, a Sanjay Travels bus travelling from Nagpur to Pune collided with a tipper on the Samruddhi Mahamarg. Nineteen passengers were injured in that accident, four of them reported to be in serious condition.

The successive accidents have raised serious questions about bus safety. It is being asked whether the buses undergo regular technical inspection, whether drivers' working hours and alertness are monitored, and how strictly fitness certificates and traffic rules are enforced. Answers to these questions are described as necessary.

Sarvesh's death has deprived a family of its support. There is therefore a demand that the case not be dismissed as a mere accident. The demand is that the bus be technically inspected, the record of earlier accidents be examined and the role of drivers be investigated thoroughly. The question is also being raised whether responsibility will be fixed for the negligence of private bus companies, and whether the administration will take firm steps to prevent such accidents.