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The motorcycle, which became the cause of the deadly bus fire that killed 19 passengers, was lying on the road as the man riding it and the pillion-rider had met with an accident before the bus passed through the spot, police said on Saturday, October 25.
The police arrived at the conclusion after questioning Erriswamy alias Nani, the pillion rider who had fled the scene after surviving the crash with minor injuries. Shiva Shankar, who was riding the bike, died on the spot after the two-wheeler skidded and rammed into the road divider.
Kurnool district Superintendent of Police Vikrant Patil said Erriswamy told the police that he pulled Shiva Shankar to the roadside and was about to move the bike lying in the middle of the road, when the speeding bus hit the bike and dragged it for some distance.
As the fire engulfed the bus, Erriswamy reportedly panicked and fled the scene and went to his native village, Tuggali.
Police identified Erriswamy after scanning the CCTV footage from a petrol pump, where the duo refuelled the bike around 2.24 am. The footage indicates that Shiva Shankar was under the influence of alcohol, and at one point, it appeared that the bike may have skidded, police said based on the visuals and after questioning petrol pump employees.
The two friends had left Lakshmipuram village around 2 am on a Pulsar bike for Dhone town in Nandyal district. After refueling the bike, when they reached Chinnatekur on the outskirts of Kurnool, Shiva Shankar appeared to have lost control of the bike and hit the divider. Shiva Shankar died on the spot, while Erriswamy escaped with minor injuries.
The private bus, which was carrying 44 passengers and was on its way to Bengaluru from Hyderabad, met with the ghastly accident near Chinnatekur village on the outskirts of Kurnool between 3-3.15 am.
While 19 passengers, including two children, were charred to death, 27 passengers, including both drivers, escaped by breaking glass windows.
Preliminary investigation suggests that as the motorcycle got stuck under the bus's belly, the friction and fuel leakage from the bike ignited the massive fire.
However, the cause of the accident had remained a mystery. Shiva Shankar’s body was found about 200 metres away from the spot where the bus caught fire. It was not clear if the bus hit the motorcycle or the motorcycle rammed into the bus.
Police had taken both bus drivers into custody. The bus driver who was at the wheel had told police that the motorcycle was lying on the road and that the bus had hit and dragged it some distance.
Erriswamy’s statement has validated the bus driver’s statement. The driver apparently failed to notice the motorcycle lying on the road due to the darkness.
The bus driver, however, is facing charges of negligent driving leading to the huge tragedy. The police were continuing the investigation to ascertain if the bus was being driven at a very high speed.
As part of the investigation into the mishap, the police scanned the CCTV footage in the area on the National Highway-44 and spotted the bike at a petrol station minutes before the accident.
The video footage shows the biker arriving at a petrol pump with a pillion at 2:22 am. According to the petrol pump manager, it was a Pulsar bike. The headlight was not working, and the rider was using only the left indicator.
The pump manager reportedly said that the rider appeared drunk and was riding the bike recklessly. As there was no attendant at one of the Dispensing Units (DU), a man riding pillion walked away, apparently to find someone to refuel their vehicle. The biker too got off and went around the petrol pump.
The pump manager said only one out of three DUs was open at that time. When the two youths approached the employee at another DU, the latter asked them to bring their vehicle. According to the employee, the way Shiva Shankar was riding the vehicle, it looked as if it might skid. He brought the vehicle to the DU, which was open, and refuelled the vehicle.
The petrol pump manager said that since the motorcyclist paid cash, they have no record of how much petrol they filled.
Shiva Shankar’s body was found about 200 metres before the place where the bus caught fire. The bus apparently dragged the bike for 200 metres before it came to a halt.
Police have also collected the CCTV footage of the bus passing in front of the petrol pump. This footage is expected to help the investigators find a clue about the speed at which the bus was being driven.
Laxmaiah and Siva Narayana, both drivers of the bus, are already in police custody.