Mane goes ‘blank’ on key query

Anant Shinde,additional commissioner of police (crime),said,“He is yet to tell us the motive behind doing this. Though he has been co-operating otherwise,he is yet to tell us the exact reason.”

Mohite said,“He is going blank when we ask him the questions about the incident. Till now,he has given all the answers to our queries about his background and personal details.”

“Investigations reveal that Mane ran over pedestrians and light vehicles but tactfully avoided heavy vehicles like trucks and luxury buses. That shows that he drove the bus in full consciousness. A person who has been serving since 1999 cannot be called mentally ill,” he added.

Till now,police have recorded the statements of 32 witnesses. According to sources,some witnesses told the police that Mane hit people and vehicles that were on extreme left or right of the road. “This indicates that Mane wanted to run over people. It was not that he was randomly driving the bus,” a senior officer said.

“The incident has taken place in the jurisdiction of five police stations. To collate the panchnama reports of a large number of sites of accidents is a big task and will take time,” Mohite said.

Asked about the mental health of the driver,Shinde said,“We have learnt that he had undergone treatment,but we do not have details on this.”