A nine-year-old boy was killed when the driver of the school bus he travelled crushed him in Bajeria, near Santra market on Friday evening. The bus driver failed to notice the boy as he got down from the bus and walked in front of the vehicle.

Deceased Yash Mewalal Mishra, a resident of Telipura, Bajeria, was studying in Standard III at Orange City High School, Mohan Nagar. The police have arrested bus driver Prafulla Gajanan Mathure (26), a resident of Jaripatka and seized the bus.

According to police, the accident occurred at 3.30 pm. The bus (MH-40/BN-3620) came from Santra Market side and stopped at Daulat Patel square with 16 students onboard. Yash deboarded the bus and went to the front side of the bus to walk towards his home. Assuming that Yash had crossed the road from back, the driver started the bus in a hurry and run over the boy.

He realised the accident when passers-by raised an alarm. The boy came under the rear wheels and sustained multiple injuries including head injuries. The boy lying under the bus in the pool of his own blood.

Locals gathered at the spot and pulled the profusely bleeding Yash. The driver himself took the boy to Mayo hospital with the help of an Activa scooter rider where doctors applied him first aid. However, the doctors failed to save the boy and he breathed his last in the evening.

Ganeshpeth Police have registered the case under Sections 279, 304 (A) of Indian Penal Code read with Sections 119, 177 of Motor Vehicle Act and Section 74 (3) of Motor Vehicles Amendment Act.

A police officer said that there was no conductor in the bus for the children. Quoting statement of the bus driver, the officer said, “The driver’s wife was working as conductor for the bus. She was absent on Friday due to bad health.”

A pall of gloom descended over Bajeria area due to the sad demise of the boy. The residents were shocked and worried about safety of their school-going children. Yash’s father is working as daily wage worker.