Kurla bus crash: Lawyer who rescued driver from the mob, says accused was not drunk

Lawyer Ashif Husain

In the aftermath of the accident involving the BEST bus in Kurla on Monday night, lawyer Ashif Husain, who was among the first to shield the bus driver and conductor from an enraged mob, has refuted claims circulating on social media that the driver was intoxicated. "He was breathing normally and did not smell of alcohol. He was clean, but shattered and visibly struck by the incident. All the rumours on social media that the driver was drunk are incorrect," Husain told mid-day.

Husain recounted the chaotic scene, explaining how he intervened to save the driver, Sanjay More, from potential harm. "The mob was angry and would have hurt him badly. We pulled him away from the crowd, dragged him to safety, and handed him over to the police. The police vehicle was some distance away, so we hurriedly signalled them to come closer to where we were and ensured he was picked up," he said.

Describing More, Husain added, "He was not a young, inexperienced man but a seasoned professional around 50-55 years old, likely a senior hand at the undertaking. From what I saw, there appeared to be a mechanical issue with the bus or something went wrong while he was at the wheel, but I can vouch he was not drunk."

Husain also detailed how the conductor, who had initially been targeted by the mob, managed to escape but was later found hiding in a nearby dentist's clinic. "The conductor was terrified and had taken refuge in the clinic. We helped him change out of his uniform so no one could identify him and then took him on a motorbike to the police station, where he was handed over," Husain said.