Khabardar: Jaisalmer में 21 जिंदा जले, Jaipur में RTO की मिलीभगत से बन रहीं मौत की बसें | Aajtak

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🛑 Bus Infernos: The Jaisalmer Tragedy Exposes a Network of Corruption and Death Traps in Jaipur

Exclusive Investigation Reveals Illegal Bus Modification Factories and RTO Complicity Following Disaster that Claimed 21 Lives.

The silence following the horrific bus fire in Jaisalmer, Rajasthan, is deafening, broken only by the raw grief of the victims’ families and the empty political rhetoric. Twenty-one people were tragically burned alive in a sudden inferno, an event that has raised the agonizing question: how could a standard bus be instantly transformed into a death trap, making escape impossible?

An Aaj Tak investigation has uncovered disturbing truths, revealing a systemic failure where safety regulations are flouted and illegal practices are rampant—all allegedly under the negligent eye of the Regional Transport Office (RTO). The investigation points to the bustling city of Jaipur, where unauthorized factories are creating so-called “luxury buses” that are nothing short of mobile fire hazards.

The Jodhpur Tragedy and the Failure of Authority

The emotional scene witnessed at the hospital in Jodhpur, where family members waited desperately for updates and DNA testing, underscored the government’s callous indifference. Relatives, shattered by loss, questioned the unexplained delays: “Why are the doctors coming at 11 AM? Why doesn’t the DNA process start at 6 AM?”

The sharp contrast between the quick action taken for powerful politicians during a crisis and the agonizing wait imposed on ordinary citizens highlights a deep-seated issue in India: The public is left to the mercy of God. The cries of the families—who had traveled for hours, only to be told the process would be delayed until late morning—serve as a damning indictment of the bureaucratic apathy that prevails, even after a massive tragedy.

Jaipur: The Hub of Death Trap Buses

The Jaisalmer bus, which received its RTO permit on October 1st and had recently undergone modifications, was quickly consumed by fire, reportedly due to a short circuit or an exploding AC compressor. The Aaj Tak correspondent, Sharad Kumar, traced the root of the issue to Jaipur, a known center for bus modification.

The investigation led to the Vijay Lakshmi Bus Builders factory on Delhi Road, where the sheer disregard for safety was laid bare:

Illegal Operation: The factory was allegedly operating without any proper license.
Unqualified Labor: The factory owner claimed to employ an “engineer” for wiring, but the individual, Raees Khan, admitted to only having an 8th-grade education—yet was responsible for installing the entire electrical system of the bus.
Fire Hazards: Buses are haphazardly fitted with plywood partitions, and electrical wiring for AC, TV, and lights is chaotically spread throughout the vehicle, creating conditions ripe for a fire. The shocking revelation was that the factory openly admitted to not having a license for AC fitting, relying on external, unverified technicians.

Kumar noted that these modified buses, often transformed from non-AC to AC for “luxury,” are being created with absolute impunity, putting passengers’ lives at severe risk.

Safety Standards Flouted: The Emergency Gate Deception

One of the most critical factors contributing to the high death toll in Jaisalmer was the impossibility of escape. The investigation found systematic corruption regarding emergency exits:

Gate Obstruction: In some modified buses, where there should be two main doors, only one is present, and the mandated emergency gate is often tiny, difficult to access, and located right next to a seat.
Deliberate Sealing: A mechanic working at one of these modification centers confirmed the shocking motive: bus owners instruct them to seal or minimize the second gate to add more seats and maximize profit, directly compromising passenger safety.
Non-Functional Exits: The investigation exposed an “emergency gate” that was deliberately locked or rendered non-functional (“system abhi uthaya hua hai,” meaning the mechanism was disabled). When questioned, the mechanic simply stated that “the vehicle owners get it done,” shifting the blame to the operators.

The visual evidence was horrifying: the interiors of the modified buses resembled small “darbe” (cages or cramped spaces), making swift evacuation during a crisis unthinkable.

RTO: A Partner in Crime?

The responsibility for inspecting and approving the safety compliance of these modified vehicles lies solely with the RTO—the Regional Transport Officer. The RTO is mandated to receive the full bus layout and ensure crucial safety features, such as functional emergency gates, are in place.

However, despite the massive tragedy, there were no RTO officials present at the sites of the illegal factories, nor was any immediate investigation launched by the department. This staggering inaction strongly suggests complicity and a network of corruption.

An official from the Transport Department later claimed that flying squads were being “activated” to check every vehicle. Yet, the question remains: if such vigilance existed, how were these deadly, makeshift buses allowed to operate on the road in the first place?

The tragedy of Jaisalmer is a stark wake-up call, exposing not just the greed of illegal factory owners but the criminal negligence of the officials tasked with protecting public life. Justice, the report concludes, must be served not only against those who build these death trap buses but against the officers whose complicity allows them to roll onto the highways.

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