Rayagada lad succumbed to AP bus inferno, parents devastated: Rayagada link exposed-Bus re-registration done at Rayagada RTO
Dr.Badal Tah, Odishabarta
Rayagada, 27 October: The ill fated bus that was engulfed by inferno in AP’s Kurnool district killing 20 passengers included a professional techie named Kengua Dipak Kumar from Ambadola, Muniguda block of Rayagada district. After his schooling from Green Valley Public School at Penta, Dipak studied intermediate science in Chinmaya Vidyalaya at JK pur. Then joined B.Tech(IT) at GIET Gunupur. After working as a software engineer in Mindtree, a Hyderabad based company for last 2 years & 7 months, he just joined as Associate Consultant Advisory in KPMG company in Bangalore. But before proving his competence in KPMG, the bus inferno took his life. All his school college mates and local gentries of Muniguda including the family members are heartbroken for his untimely death. A pall of gloom has descended on Deepak’s family and native village as news of his death spread. His parents, who lost their only son, were inconsolable. His identity was confirmed through a DNA test and the body was handed over to the family members.
The fire broke out after one of the bus drivers hit a motorcycle moving in the same direction. The bike got trapped under the bus, causing sparks that quickly ignited the fuel tank and set the bus ablaze.
The bus, bearing registration number DD01 N9490, was purchased by Vemuri Kaveri Travels, owned by Vemuri Vinod Kumar on May 2, 2018 and initially registered in Daman and Diu. On April 29, 2025, the vehicle got re-registered under tourist permit in the name of G. Bijaya Laxmi, with officials noting that the address provided appeared to be unverified. But despite the re-registration, the bus still bore the Daman and Diu number plate. The permit for the vehicle was valid from May 1, 2025 to April 30, 2030, while its fitness certificate, issued by Silvassa authorities in Daman and Diu, remained valid until March 31,
It is found that the bus had violated multiple transport regulations. The vehicle had been converted into a sleeper coach without the required authorisation and was operating across state borders using questionable documentation. It had originally been registered as a seater coach and was later converted into a sleeper without adhering to mandated safety standards.
While giving the permit, the Rayagada road transport authority(RTA)’s role in verifying the design, safety criteria like weight distribution, structural balance, emergency exits, fire protection and passenger comfort, etc needed to be verified. So also RTA’s role in actual verification of local address has given a benefit of doubt. It seems this private operator compromised safety by reducing seat spacing and adding extra berths to carry more passengers and boost revenue. The operator also bypassed certified body-building agency to make unauthorised modifications. This was with the knowledge Rayagada RTA. This operator allegedly worked with RTA officials to secure approvals for illegally altered vehicles and to evade higher taxes in AP. Among other reasons, unholy nexus with Rayagada RTA could be one, which led to this fatal & horrific accident.
“Huge sized buses from neighbouring state AP very often come to office of Rayagada RTO. The nexus is obvious. Everyone knows the legal documents jugglery in RTO office in spite of several policy changes. The Collector must intervene to bust this racket”, said Ajay Rath, Convenor of a district level civic body named Rayagada Nagarika Mancha.
AP authorities have booked a case for the accident and said they will investigate all factors against the bus and the travel agency as well. As a high level investigation is going on in AP, it may pip into its Rayagada link. Rayagada Collector Asutosh Kulkarni has directed RTO Rayagada to be ready with detailed information in this regard.
