Chennai:
Tamil Nadu police have arrested a motor vehicle inspector for issuing fitness certificate for a defective school bus that resulted in the death of a six-year-old girl here a day ago.
In a statement issued late on Thursday, the government said the police have arrested motor vehicle inspector, P. Rajasekaran, posted at Tambaram office in the city suburb for serious lapse in issuing fitness certificate without properly inspecting the vehicle.
The government has also ordered a detailed enquiry by Deputy Transport Commissioner P. Vijayaraj.
Rajasekaran is also suspended from his service.
S. Shruti, who was returning home from her school in Tambaram city suburbs, was seated on the sixth row behind the driver in the school bus.
When she got up to get down, she slipped down to the road through a massive hole under her seat and was crushed to death by the same bus.
The cardboard which was used to cover the hole under her seat gave in under her weight as she stood up, and resulted in her death.
Unaware of the incident, driver Seeman continued to drive while the passers-by along the road were horrified to witness the girl being crushed to death.
The driver was thrashed by the people as he refused to believe that such an accident had occurred. The mob set the bus on fire.
The authorities of Zion Matriculation School denied any responsibility and blamed the bus contractor for the vehicle's condition.
The vehicle was given a fitness certificate by the transport department only recently.
Mourning the death of Shruti, people wearing black badges took out a procession Thursday from the accident spot to her house and paid their homage by placing wreaths there.
The Madras High Court on Thursday sought an explanation from the state transport department on how a bus, from which a minor girl slipped and was run over, was given a fitness certificate.
With the arrest of Rajasekaran, the total number of people taken to custody is five. The police had earlier arrested a senior school official N.Vijayan, bus owner Yogeswaran, driver Seeman and cleaner Shanmugham.