7-year-old Sruthi dies after falling through hole in floor of school bus in Chennai, all 8 accused acquitted

Chennai: The Additional Sessions Court in Chengalpattu has acquitted all the eight accused in the case relating to death of a 7-year-old girl student falling to death through a gaping hole in the floor of the school bus near Mudichur on the city outskirts in 2012.

Additional District Judge K. Kayathiri acquitted all the accused, including the School Correspondent, on the ground that the prosecution has failed to prove the case beyond any reasonable doubt.

The girl, Sruthi, a student of Zion Matriculaton School, was returning home from school in the school bus, when she fell through a agping hole beneath her seat on the floor of the bus and was crushed to death under the wheels on July 25, 2012.

Shocked over the incident, an enraged public gathered at the spot and had torched the bus.

The incident sent shock waves across the State and the government had taken various steps to ensure safety measures in school buses carrying students.

The St.Thomas Mount Traffic police had registered a case of culpable homicide against the school correspondent on the day of the incident. Subsequently, eight people were arrested and a chargesheet was filed against the by yearend.

The trial was conducted before the Additional Sessions Court, Chengalpattu.

After completion of the trial, the court last evening acquitted all the eight accused--bus driver Seeman, Assistant Shanmugham, Mechanic Prakasam, bus owner Yogesh, School Correspondent Vijayan, his brothers Ravi and Paulraj and Motor Vehicle Inspector Rajasekaran. (UNI)