- By Sahelee Rakshit
- Thu, 20 Mar 2025 10:46 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
Pune Minibus Fire: The minibus fire that killed four employees of a private company was not an accident, but rather a pre-planned murder by the driver, Pune police said on Thursday. After being questioned repeatedly during the inquiry, the driver admitted to the crime and confessed to purposefully setting the corporate minibus on fire.
Police say the driver ignited the fire using a matchbox and benzene solution. He sprang off the driving car as the fire spread, and it proceeded for about 200 metres before colliding with a tree. The driver added that he had planned the crime after being subjected to constant abuse by the regular office-goers who rode in the minibus.
Authorities first thought that the fire may have been caused by a short circuit, but once the driver confessed, this notion was disproved.
The incident happened on Wednesday at around 7:45 AM in the Pimpri Chinchwad municipal boundaries in the Hinjewadi area of Pune.
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The tempo traveller was transporting personnel from a local graphics design company when it caught fire on the route to the office. At first, it looked like an accident, but authorities became skeptical as the driver made contradicting claims.
Four employees of Vyoma Graphics, a graphic design studio, died in the fire. The fatalities were identified as Shankar Shinde (63), Rajan Chavan (42), Gurudas Lokare (45), and Subhash Bhosale (44), all of whom lived in various parts of Pune.
They had a variety of positions inside the organisation, including supervisor, printing machine operator, courier, and paper cutting operator.