Volvo bus mishap: Bodies handed over to kin

The bodies of seven people, who were charred in a Volvo bus accident near Haveri on November 14, were handed over to their relatives on Friday.

The bodies of seven people, who were charred in a Volvo bus accident near Haveri on November 14, were handed over to their relatives on Friday.

The bodies were kept in the Karnataka Institute of Medical Sciences (KIMS) Hospital here. Since they were charred beyond recognition, the authorities had to conduct DNA tests to establish their identity.

Five of a family from Mumbai — Khaleem, his wife Sameera Bhanu and children Saif, Rumaan and Aman —  their driver Nayaz and Hemanth, a textile merchant from Surat, were burnt alive in the accident.

After receiving the body, Hemanth’s brother Shashikant said the body would be taken to Surat for last rites.

National Travels owner and JD(S) MLA B Z Zameer Ahmed Khan, who was also present at the KIMS, handed over a cheque for Rs 5 lakh to Shashikant as promised earlier.

The compensation to Nayaz’s family will be given in Bangalore. The cheque for Khaleem’s family was handed over to Chengiz Khan, councillor of Jogeshwari in Mumbai, who was present at the KIMS.

When asked the MLA said he will go to Mumbai immediately after the Belgaum session of the legislature on November 25 to meet with the elders of Khaleem’s family. “I don’t want the compensation of Rs 25 lakh to fall into the wrong hands,” he said.

Defamation case against Volvo

HUBLI: National Travels owner B Z Zameer Ahmed Khan said he would soon file a defamation case against Volvo. “The fire broke out because of the faulty design of the bus, but our company name was damaged due to the accident. Therefore, I have decided to file a defamation case against Volvo,” he said. Khan also blamed the state Transport Department for ‘failing’ to conduct a survey about the safety aspects in Volvo buses.