Bus driver gets jail over death of elderly pedestrian

Mangaluru: A third JMFC court here imposed an eight-month imprisonment on a bus driver after finding him responsible for the death of a 72-year-old woman who was crossing a road in the city.

Judge Suresha ES sentenced bus driver H Bhaskar, 45, for causing the death of Irene D'Souza at Bendoorwell Junction in the city on March 30, 2023.

The accident took place when the elderly woman was crossing the road after getting down from the bus. The driver moved the bus when the woman was crossing the road. She fell on the road and was run over by the front wheel of the bus. She died on the spot, and the driver, instead of stopping the bus, drove away after the incident.

In addition to eight months of jail, the court also imposed a penalty of Rs 27,000 on Bhaskar. A penalty of Rs 10,000 was imposed on the bus conductor, Mohammed Musthafa, for not possessing a conductor licence. In addition, a penalty of Rs 5,000 was imposed on bus owner Santhosh Arun Menezes for allowing Musthafa to work as a conductor without a licence. The court considered the CCTV footage as prime evidence during the trial.