Akhnoor bus accident: J&K admin suspends DSP for ‘dereliction’ of duty

Jammu, Jun 20 (PTI)  The Jammu and Kashmir administration on Thursday suspended a deputy superintendent of police (DSP) of the traffic wing for alleged dereliction of duty related to a major accident here last month.

As many as 22 people were killed and 64 injured in the incident that took place in the Akhnoor area here on May 30.

The administration had on May 31 suspended six transport department officials for alleged negligence in duty in connection with the accident.

“In accordance with the Jammu and Kashmir Civil Services (Classification, Control & Appeal) Rules, 1956, Satish Kumar, DSP, Traffic Rural, Jammu, is hereby placed under suspension with immediate effect,” said Chandraker Bharti, Principal Secretary of Home Department, in an order issued tonight.

During the suspension period, the officer will remain attached to the police headquarters, the order said.

The accident had occurred when a bus carrying 86 devotees from Haryana’s Kurukshetra to the Shiv Khori shrine in Jammu and Kashmir’s Reasi district skidded off the Jammu-Poonch highway and plunged into a 150-foot gorge.

The driver lost control of the vehicle while navigating a blind curve at Tungi Morh in the Chowki Chora area.