Police tell court that BEST driver Sanjay More accidentally stepped on the accelerator, while he claims that he tried to save lives by not swerving left or right as bus inexplicably picked up speed
Accused Sanjay More being presented in court (right)
The Kurla Magistrate Court has remanded BEST driver Sanjay More, accused in the Kurla bus accident, in police custody till December 21. Police told the court that More accidentally stepped on the accelerator, causing the bus to speed uncontrollably for 50-60 metres before the collisions. More claimed he refrained from swerving left or right to avoid hitting people as the bus inexplicably picked up speed.
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Samadhan Sunar, defence lawyer in court
Notably, the court granted 11-day police custody, exceeding the 7-day custody initially sought by the Kurla police. Earlier, the police had requested to produce More in court via video conferencing, but the application was rejected, and he was brought to court in person under heavy police security.
Police in court
According to the police, the 54-year-old driver, allegedly pressed the accelerator of the electric bus unintentionally, causing the vehicle to speed uncontrollably for 50–60 metres before the accident. “The accused had no prior experience driving an electric automatic heavy vehicle and was trained by BEST authorities. We suspect he may have been under the influence of intoxicating substances at the time of the incident, and we are awaiting his blood sample reports. The accident resulted in the death of seven people and significant damage to multiple vehicles,” the police stated in court.
Defence lawyer argues
Defence lawyer Samadhan Sunar argued that More should be placed in judicial custody instead of police custody, given that the investigation hinges on pending blood test reports. “Sanjay More is a professional driver, and the police have not presented any evidence that he was drunk or under the influence of intoxicating substances at the time of the incident. Moreover, he was trained by BEST authorities, so physical custody is unnecessary,” Sunar told the court.
Driver’s background
Speaking to mid-day, a police officer revealed that More began driving the electric bus on December 1 and had no prior experience with heavy electric vehicles. “He held a valid license and was previously a minibus driver, but this was his first time operating an electric automatic bus. The investigation is ongoing,” the officer said. “The driver told the police that the speed of the bus was increasing, and he did not turn the bus left or right to save lives. He realised that the bus was out of his control, and it ultimately collided with the pole,” the officer added.
Legal charges
More has been booked under relevant sections of the BNS:
Section 105: Culpable homicide not amounting to murder
Section 110: Attempt to commit culpable homicide
Section 118: Intentionally causing grievous hurt
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