Mumbai, Jan 21 The driver of the BEST bus, involved in an accident in which four persons were killed in Mumbai's Bhandup area last month, drove the vehicle at a high speed, despite being aware that the area was crowded, police told a court here on Wednesday.
The police made this assertion in its response to bus driver Santosh Sawant's bail application.
It told the court that if he is granted bail, then the possibility of a law and order situation arising cannot be ruled out.
The police's reply further mentioned that the Regional Transport Office (RTO)'s inspection report explicitly remarked that there was "no mechanical defect" in the bus.
The police told the court that of the 12 persons who suffered injuries in the accident, the condition of six was still serious and they were undergoing treatment at various hospitals.
The Olectra Greentech-made nine-metre-long electric bus from the fleet of Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) undertaking crashed into pedestrians near Bhandup (West) suburban railway station on December 29, 2025, killing four persons and injuring 12 others.
At the time of the accident, the bus was being driven by Sawant (52). He was later arrested by the Bhandup police and is currently in judicial custody.
A case has been registered against him under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Motor Vehicles Act for negligent driving.
Sawant, in his bail plea, claimed that he was innocent and had been falsely implicated due to the unfortunate nature of the event.
The applicant claimed that he attempted to save a rickshaw and pedestrians who suddenly appeared, causing him to lose control of the bus, and that there was no criminal intent.
The police, however, contended that the BEST bus was driven recklessly and at high speed, crashing into passengers standing at a bus stop.
According to an eyewitness, the driver was aware of the heavy crowd of passengers waiting at the bus stop near the Bhandup police outpost, the written reply said.
Despite knowing that his actions could cause loss of life, the driver drove the bus in a rash and negligent manner at high speed around the turn behind the outpost, it said.
The police pleaded for rejection of his plea, saying that the crime was of a sensitive nature.
The work of collecting further evidence against the accused was still underway, it said.
Since the accused and the witnesses reside in the same locality, the possibility of him threatening the witnesses, if released on bail, cannot be ruled out, it said.
The court is likely to pass an order on his plea on January 23.
