Nun's death after fall from moving bus: Police book driver, conductor; MVD moves to suspend licence, permit

Kochi: Kothamangalam police have registered a case against the driver and conductor of a private bus for causing death by negligence following the death of a 56-year-old nun who was thrown out of the moving vehicle after it negotiated a curve with its pneumatic door left open on Tuesday. Simultaneously, the Motor Vehicles Department (MVD) has initiated proceedings to suspend the driver's licence and recommended suspension of the bus’ stage carriage permit.

The deceased, Sister Heicelet Puthet, popularly known as Sister Helet, was a retired schoolteacher and a member of the Sisters of the Destitute (SD) St Vincent Province in Kothamangalam. She succumbed to her injuries at Rajagiri Hospital in Aluva on Wednesday morning, a day after the accident.

Kothamangalam police said both the driver and the conductor had been booked under Section 106(1) (causing death by negligence) of the BNS.

“A case has been registered against both the driver and the conductor. Because the bus was crowded, they failed to close the door. The bus had a pneumatic door which uses compressed air to open or shut and it can be controlled by a switch in the driver’s cabin. He should have closed it after the passenger boarded or deboarded. Moreover, travelling on the footboard is strictly prohibited, and the crew is not supposed to let passengers travel like that. Although the offence is bailable, an arrest will be made. The vehicle is currently in our custody and will only be released after a formal inspection,” a senior police officer told Onmanorama.

The accident occurred at around 8.20 am on Tuesday near the Kozhippilly Government LP School when Sister Heicelet was travelling to the Nirmala Centre (NESTT) in Kothamangalam to conduct a class.

According to the police, the bus named ‘Rejimon’, which operates on the Vazhakulam-Kothamangalam route, was packed with passengers during the morning rush. With no space inside, the nun was forced to stand near the front footboard beside the open pneumatic door. As the bus took a sharp curve near the school at speed, she reportedly lost her balance due to the centrifugal force of the turn and was thrown onto the road, suffering severe head injuries.

She was initially rushed to a nearby hospital before being shifted to the Intensive Care Unit at Rajagiri Hospital, where she later died.

Sources with the Kothamangalam Regional Transport Office said CCTV footage collected from the area confirmed that the bus had been operating with its door left open, prompting the department to initiate strict action.

“There will definitely be strict action. There will be immediate action against the driver's licence, alongside a strong recommendation to the Regional Transport Authority (RTA) Board to suspend the bus permit,” an MVD official said.

Explaining the procedure, the official said suspension of a stage carriage permit could only be ordered by the RTA Board.

“Suspension of a permit cannot be done individually by an MVI or RTO; it must be placed before the RTA Board, consisting of the District Collector, SP and the RTO. It is the driver's absolute responsibility to operate the pneumatic door controls before moving the vehicle. We want this enforcement to serve as a loud message to all private operators that passenger safety is non-negotiable,” he said.

He added that the curve at the accident site and the victim’s age may have aggravated the fall.

“There is a small curve at the site. Had it been a straight road, this might not have happened. Given her age, she unexpectedly lost her grip when the vehicle took the turn, leaving her with no chance to regain control,” he said.

Sister Heicelet was widely respected for her decades of service in the education sector. During her teaching career, she served at Kothamangalam St. George School, Veliyelchal St Joseph's School and Oonnukal Little Flower School. She also held several leadership positions within the SD congregation, including Provincial Councilor and Mother Superior at various convents.

A native of Murickassery, she was the daughter of Ittanasia and the late Annamma Puthet. She is survived by her siblings Sister Smitha, Lissy, Jose, George and Binoy. Her funeral will be held at 3.30 pm on Thursday at the Kozhippilly SD Provincial House chapel.