Kushinagar tragedy: Parents had complained against driver

GORAKHPUR: Harihar Prasad, the grandfather of the three siblings who were among the 13 children killed when a speeding school van was hit by a train at an unmanned level crossing in Kushinagar, said on Friday that parents had lodged a complaint with the school authorities against the driver for rash and negligent driving only a week ago. But the school management took no action.
Still to come to terms with his loss, Amarjeet Prasad, the father of the children, said that he had scolded the driver several times for driving too fast and irresponsibly." Niyaz Ansari was an irresponsible driver and used to drive very fast. But whenever I scolded him he would start pleading, so I let him off," said Amarjeet, resident of Mishrouli village, of Dudahi area. Prasad lost his sons Ravi and Santosh and daughter Ragini, all students of Divine Mission School.
Police have lodged an FIR against Ansari under IPC Sections 279, 337, 338, 120B and 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) with Vishunpura police.
His craze for phone took children’s lives: Local
I never saw him without his mobile phone. His craze for mobile phone took lives of the children,” said Shauqat. Satya Narayan Singh, who lost his grandson Hariom (6), said, “I had complained about him to the principal. Other parents had also complained. The school manager had scolded him just a day before the accident.”