It had accumulated 55 challans in Delhi and Uttar Pradesh between April 2023 and August 2026, according to records on the Parivahan platform.
The double-decker sleeper bus had begun its journey from Kashmere Gate in Delhi around 9 p.m. on Wednesday and had around 30-35 passengers, according to the complaint.
Two other challans, for ₹21,000 and ₹26,000, cited violations including “vehicle not plying for specified purpose (tourist vehicle)” and “vehicle driven in contravention of permit conditions relating to route, area or purpose”.
The Motor Vehicle Inspector’s (MVI) report following the fire found large quantities of cosmetic products stored in the bus.
The bus had an emergency exit, though the upper sleeper berth above it may have made evacuation difficult, he said.
Passengers of the ill-fated bus that caught fire on the Yamuna Expressway early on Thursday (September 24, 2026), killing nine people, had alerted the driver and conductor about a burning smell but were talked down by the duo, who were also smoking inside the vehicle, said an FIR filed by a survivor from Hamirpur district.
The bus caught fire on the Yamuna Expressway, 5km from the newly inaugurated Noida International Airport. The driver refused to stop when the fire started and allegedly told the passengers, “If you want to die, then die; we won’t stop the bus.”
The Hindu has found that the bus, a sleeper coach registered in Bihar and operated by Raj Kalpana Travels, had 17 pending challans amounting to ₹1.59 lakh at the time of the incident. It had accumulated 55 challans in Delhi and Uttar Pradesh between April 2023 and August 2026, according to records on the Parivahan platform. The violations included driving without a licence, breaches of permit conditions, failure to carry requisite documents, overspeeding, carrying goods on the roof and violations of safety norms.
The FIR alleged that when passengers repeatedly raised an alarm over the burning smell coming from the driver’s cabin, the driver allegedly dismissed it and did not stop to check the vehicle.
The double-decker sleeper bus had begun its journey from Kashmere Gate in Delhi around 9 p.m. on Wednesday and had around 30-35 passengers, according to the complaint.
The complaint alleged that when the driver and conductor were smoking cigarettes inside the cabin, a fire started near the driver’s seat, following which passengers raised an alarm and asked the driver to stop.
By the time the bus stopped, the fire had spread rapidly through the vehicle and thick smoke had engulfed the passenger compartment. Police said more than 20 passengers were rescued and nine people had died inside the bus. The victims died from “burns and asphyxiation”, they said.
Preliminary investigation pointed to a possible malfunction in the vehicle’s air-conditioning system. According to the Gautam Buddh Nagar police, a spark or blast in the air-conditioning system may have ignited lubricating oil in the engine, allowing the fire to spread rapidly. The exact cause of the fire is still being investigated.
The driver and conductor have been taken into custody and a case has been registered under relevant sections, including culpable homicide. The investigation will also examine allegations made by passengers, police said.
Police said the bus operates from Madhya Pradesh and is registered in the Madhubani district of Bihar. Its fitness certificate was issued in Rajasthan and its pollution certificate in Haryana.
Among the challans was an ₹18,500 fine slapped on August 19, 2026, for “carriage of goods on top in stage and contract carriage”, indicating that goods were being transported in a passenger bus in violation of the stated carriage rules.
Two other challans, for ₹21,000 and ₹26,000, cited violations including “vehicle not plying for specified purpose (tourist vehicle)” and “vehicle driven in contravention of permit conditions relating to route, area or purpose”. The violations indicate that the vehicle had also been booked for use in ways contrary to the conditions of its permit.
The Motor Vehicle Inspector’s (MVI) report following the fire found large quantities of cosmetic products stored in the bus. Sanjay Kumar Gupta, MVI at the Gautam Buddh Nagar RTO office, said the bus measured 4.1 metres in height against the prescribed 3.8 metres under AIS-119, while its other specifications largely met the standard. The bus had an emergency exit, though the upper sleeper berth above it may have made evacuation difficult, he said.
The Uttar Pradesh government has announced financial assistance of ₹2 lakh each for the families of the nine deceased passengers and ₹50,000 for the injured.
