Driver commits suicide – HRTC orders investigation

The Himachal Pradesh Transport Corporation (HRTC) management has ordered an inquiry into the suicide of one of its drivers, Sanjay Kumar, in Mandi division. Apart from ordering an inquiry, HRTC managing director Rohan Chand Thakur also issued an order to attach Vinod Kumar, who was serving as regional manager in Dharampur, to the Mandi branch office until further orders.

The orders were issued after a video appeared on social media on Monday evening in which the deceased driver accused the regional director of harassment during his hospital stay. Taking cognizance of the viral video, HRTC managing director Rohan Chand Thakur has ordered the Mandi branch manager to conduct an inquiry into the incident.

In the preliminary investigation, the investigating officer rejected the allegations made by the deceased to the HRTC regional unit. In the report, the investigating officer stated that the deceased’s claim that he had not received salary for four months turned out to be false. The report further indicated that he went on leave on January 7 without the department’s consent.

The investigating officer was asked to investigate the allegations made by the deceased and their authenticity, as well as to investigate the role and conduct of the management of the field unit.