“I will swear in any temple that I did not use the mobile phone while driving on that fateful day. It was only due to the seat giving way suddenly.” This was the statement MTC driver Prasad, who drove the bus that slid from Anna flyover, was repeatedly emphasising to union activists who met him Thursday evening after he was released on bail.
He and his family have locked their house in Kundrathur and are learnt to have gone into ‘hiding’ at one of their relatives’ house.
Alleging that MTC authorities were forcing the driver to ‘vacate’ the hospital in Chetput where he was rushed by the union activists after ‘securing’ him from the police on Wednesday, a senior MTC union leader told DC that the driver was complaining of chest pain and severe back pain.
The MTC authorities suspended Mr Prasad after receiving reports from the police and transport department. And, the union activists have questioned the act of keeping the bus at Alandur depot while it should have had been under the custody of the police.
“The log book and the bus maintenance records (T5 and T6) have mysteriously gone missing after the incident. Also, the bus has been taken to an MTC depot where they have allegedly fixed the seat afresh to maintain that the accident was not due to the seat giving way. The motor vehicle inspector certified it on Thursday morning at the depot,” they allege.
When asked about the suspension period of the driver, an MTC official said they had not fixed it.