New Delhi, Sep 28 (PTI) Taking cognisance of the sleeper bus fire incident on the Yamuna Expressway in which nine passengers died, the Supreme Court on Monday sought responses from the Ministry of Road Transport and the Uttar Pradesh Chief Secretary (CS) on the issue.
A bench of Justices JB Pardiwala and KV Viswanathan issued notices to the chief secretary and the ministry on an application filed by Agra resident Kishan Chand Jain that sought directions for a detailed report, within a fixed period, from the CS on the bus fire near Jewar during the intervening night of September 23-24, 2026.
The petition said the report should cover the cause of the fire, ownership, registration, permit, fitness, insurance and authorised capacity of the bus besides compliance with construction and fire-safety requirements.
It sought a direction that no transport vehicle having more than five unpaid challans shall be permitted to cross any toll plaza.
“Direct the Ministry of Road Transport, the National Highways Authority of India and its toll-collection arm Indian Highways Management Company Limited and all state governments and state expressway authorities that no transport vehicle having more than five unpaid challans shall be permitted to cross any toll plaza or fee plaza on a national highway, state highway or expressway until the challan amounts are paid,” the plea said.
Nine passengers died after a sleeper bus caught fire on the Yamuna Expressway in Greater Noida on September 24. The incident took place near the 33-km milestone under the Jewar Police Station area, they said.
The bus was headed to Bihar from Delhi.
The petition contended that the right to life under Article 21 includes the right to travel safely in a public service vehicle that the State has certified as fit and permitted to carry passengers.
Taking suo motu cognisance of the incident, the Allahabad High Court had earlier directed state officials to file an affidavit detailing safety checks and permits issued to such buses.
The high court had taken note of news reports, including one published in the Hindustan Times, and referred to data shared in the Rajya Sabha showing 45 bus fire incidents between January 2023 and December 10, 2025, which resulted in 64 deaths and 145 injuries across India. PTI PKS RT
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