7 November
Kurnool, Andhra Pradesh – Police investigating the horrific Kurnool bus fire, which claimed 19 lives, have arrested Kaveri Travels owner Vemuri Vinod Kumar. The accused was granted bail soon after being produced before court on Friday.
On October 24, a private bus belonging to Kaveri Travels caught fire near Chinnatekur in Ulindakonda mandal of Kurnool district. The bus, en route from Hyderabad to Bengaluru, collided with a parked two-wheeler, triggering a massive blaze that killed 19 passengers on the spot.
Based on the complaint from survivor Ramesh, police launched a detailed probe and earlier arrested the driver, Miryala Lakshmaiah (A1). On Friday, the bus owner, Vemuri Vinod Kumar, was named as A2 and presented before a special mobile court, which granted him bail on a ₹10,000 bond.
Officials from the Transport Department found that the bus had been illegally modified from a standard passenger coach to a “sleeper coach,” violating permit conditions. Investigators are probing the operator’s role in these safety breaches.
Experts have urged the government to enforce stricter transport safety norms and regular inspections to prevent such tragedies in the future.