Jaipur inferno: Tanker driver appears before police, to be probed by SIT

The driver of an LPG tanker that was involved in an explosion here last week which claimed 13 lives has appeared before police and will be questioned by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the case, a senior official said on Tuesday.

The driver, Jaiveer (40), a resident of Mathura in Uttar Pradesh, managed to get out of the tanker in time after sensing the impact of the collision, which broke the tanker's outlet nozzles.

According to police, Jaiveer called Delhi-based tanker owner Anil Panwar after the incident and then switched off his phone.

"We cannot blame the tanker driver immediately as the container truck driver had hit his vehicle. He saw that the tanker's nozzles had broken and realised that there could be an explosion as other drivers were turning on the ignition of their vehicles. So, he fled to save his life," said Deputy Commissioner of Police (West) Amit Kumar.

An FIR was registered in the matter on December 20, the day the explosion took place, and now the tanker driver is being questioned. The driver of the container truck which rammed into the tanker died in the explosion, he said.

Jaiveer appeared before police on Monday. The SIT probing the case will question Jaiveer, Panwar and the tanker company about the vehicle's condition and the driver's employment history, he added.

The DCP said Jaiveer was among the nine drivers present at the accident scene who managed to escape.

The container truck collided with the tanker while taking a U-turn on the Jaipur-Ajmer highway, breaking its outlet nozzles which released a white cloud of gas.

Within minutes, the gas ignited and a massive ball of fire engulfed over 30 vehicles stuck in the jam.

More than two dozen people were injured in the accident and 23 are undergoing treatment at Sawai Man Singh (SMS) Hospital.

Police have registered a case under multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS), including rash and negligent driving, causing death by negligent act, and causing hurt by endangering life.

The Rajasthan High Court has taken suo motu cognisance of the matter and sought replies from the state government and the Centre. It will hear the matter on January 10, 2025.