Pune: 

According to Maharashtra Police, the office bus burning incident reported on Wednesday(March 19) in Hinjewadi is not an accident but a sabotage by the bus driver who also had suffered burns in the revenge attack. He is being treated at a hospital in the City.

The sabotage came to light after a preliminary probe showed that the fire was started using chemicals and further interrogation revealed the role of the bus driver, Deputy Commissioner of Police Vishal Gaikwad of Pimpri Chinchwad Police said.

The bus driver was identified as Janardan Hambardekar. He had a running dispute with some of the employees and was looking to settle scores, the official said, adding that he was also having issues with his salary since last Diwali.

A minibus which went up in flames killing four officegoers at Hinjewadi, near here, had been set afire by a disgruntled driver who had beef with some of the staffers besides being upset over poor remuneration, officials said. On the ill-fated day, the driver has carefully planned the attack trapping the coworkers whom he thought was illtreating him. When the minibus was passing through Hinjewadi, he pulled out a piece of cloth laced with a chemical which he had stolen from the company he was working.

He lit the cloth and tossed it inside the vehicle before he escaped from the vehicle. He jumped out of the vehicle which ran for about 100 m before coming to a halt. The fire he started triggered a loud explosion and the blaze engulfed the entire bus in no time as was seen from some of the visuals recorded by the passersby.

Some of the employees managed to break the windows and escape while four of them who were in the rear could not break open the windows due to the blaze. They were charred to death, an official explained the turn of events that led to the tragedy.

The deceased are identified as – Shankar Shinde (63), Rajan Chavan (42), Gurudas Lokare (45) and Subhash Bhosale (44) – employees of Vyoma Graphics, operating out of Tirumala Industrial Estate, Phase -2, Hinjewadi. Six of their co-passengers sustained burn injuries and were being treated at Ruby Hall Clinic Hospital.

There were 12 passengers in the minibus when the attack unfolded, he said.

"The driver had procured benzene (a highly inflammable chemical). He had kept it hidden under his seat. He had a piece of cloth, typically used for soaking (industrial) toners to wipe surfaces, in the bus and also to clean the machines. As the bus neared Hinjewadi, he lit a match and set the cloth on fire," the DCP said.

"Though the bus driver jumped off the moving bus, he also suffered burns. He is under treatment and will be arrested later," the senior police official added.

The driver who is now undergoing treatment at a hospital will be arrested later, he said.

The DCP also clarified that none of them whom the driver had a running feud were among the deceased.

We're in shock: Company

According to company official Nitesh Shah, the firm would cooperate with the police and care for the victims.

"We are in shock. The investigation is underway and we are cooperating with the police," PTI quoted him as saying. "We are also providing medical support to all the injured persons. They are all like our family members and we are taking care of them," he added.

Victim Subhash Bhosale is survived by his wife and a child studying in Class XI, the news agency quoted his cousin Vinod Bhosale as saying.

"I visited the company to seek details of his bank account for the insurance. What can I demand? I lost my brother. However, his family members should be taken care of," Vinod said.