2 weeks Ago By Alim Shaikh
Pune: The family members of Janardhan Humbardikar , the driver accused of setting Vyoma Graphics company's staff bus on fire at Hinjewadi on Wednesday, have refuted police's claims about his involvement in the crime. Janardhan's wife, Neha, told TOI that her husband's brother-in-law, who got Janardan employed in the company in 2006, was on board the minibus at the time of the incident. "It is difficult to believe that he will try to kill his own sister's husband by setting the bus ablaze," she said.
Janardhan's brother-in-law sustained burn injuries to his ears and minor injuries to his back after he fell on road while trying to escape from the running bus that was on fire. He was discharged from a hospital on Wednesday. Neha said her husband was unconscious the whole day of the incident and could not speak to anyone due to burn injuries to his lower limbs.
However, police recorded his statement for 2.5 hours at Ruby Hall Clinic where he was admitted and claimed that he set the bus on fire with the intent to kill the employees who were on board and travelling to their office, she said. Deputy commissioner of police Vishal Gaikwad, however, called the family's allegations baseless.
"On the day of the incident, the driver pretended that he was unconscious. Though we had suspected foul play, we allowed him to take rest. Meanwhile, our team collected corroborating evidence.
On Thursday morning, during his questioning, the driver admitted to having plotted and executed the crime," Gaikwad told TOI. The family members also said that Janardhan never informed them about any stress or enmity with any of the employees. "We travelled to Kudal in Sindhudurg district to attend a wedding around three weeks ago, and from there, we went for a short trip to several religious places, including Kolhapur.
He looked happy and enjoyed the trip. At no point did we feel that he was under stress," Neha said. Besides, he never mentioned the salary cut or bonus issue home, she said.
"He gave me money on time for household expenses every month." The Humbardikar family, originally from Mumbai's Bandra, shifted to Pune in 2006 in search of a job. "My brother and I both joined the printing company through my brother-in-law, who was its senior-most employee," Janardhan's brother Vijay, who worked with Vyoma Graphics between 2007 and 2008, said.
Vijay said his brother was awarded for safe driving during his earlier job in Mumbai. "He is not the kind of person who can kill anyone." Neha said her husband was unconscious till Thursday morning, and nurses told them that he started crying after he gained consciousness and asked about the health condition of other travellers in the bus.
"Doctors gave him sleeping pills. I failed to understand how he responded to police's questions." Senior inspector Kanhaiyya Thorat of Hinjewadi police said, "(Janardhan) Humbardikar is still in the ICU of the hospital.
" ‘He fed stray dogs daily' People around Vyoma Graphics on Friday could not believe that their colleague set a bus on fire to kill employees. A security guard of the company said, "Though some said he was angry at times, we never experienced anything like that. He was the only person who would bring biscuits every day to feed stray dogs around.
He never left the dogs hungry." (With inputs from Mihir Tanksale).
