The Lucknow Bench of the Allahabad High Court on Monday stayed the suspension of Vandana, the Regional Transport Officer (RTO) of Aligarh, who was disciplined following a tragic school bus accident that resulted in the death of a child.
The court, presided over by Justice Manish Mathur, passed the interim order on a writ petition challenging the suspension order dated March 1, 2026. While the court provided immediate relief to the officer, it clarified that the ongoing departmental inquiry against her may continue or reach its conclusion.
The case stems from a fatal incident on February 28, 2026, involving a school bus in Aligarh. A child died after allegedly falling through a damaged portion of the bus’s floorboard. In the immediate aftermath of the tragedy, a departmental inquiry was initiated, leading to the suspension of RTO Vandana the following day.
The petitioner approached the High Court seeking to quash the suspension, arguing that the administrative action was misdirected.
Appearing for the petitioner, Senior Counsel Gaurav Mehrotra argued that while the death of the child was a deeply “unfortunate” incident, the RTO could not be held personally or professionally liable for the mechanical failure of the vehicle.
The primary contentions raised by the petitioner were:
- Lack of Direct Role: The RTO had no direct involvement or proximity to the incident.
- Delegated Responsibility: Under transport regulations, the actual physical inspection and certification of vehicles are the duties of designated inspecting officers, not the RTO.
- Absence of Misconduct: Since the duty of inspection did not fall under her direct mandate, no professional misconduct or negligence could be attributed to her in this specific context.
The State counsel, representing the government, was reportedly unable to effectively rebut the specific legal arguments regarding the division of responsibility between the RTO and inspecting officers.
After hearing both sides, Justice Manish Mathur observed that the matter required “detailed consideration.” The court noted that the petitioner had made a prima facie case regarding the limits of an RTO’s responsibility in the vehicle inspection process.
In its interim order, the Court stated:
“The operation of the suspension order dated March 1, 2026, shall remain stayed until the next date of listing.”
However, the Bench was careful to ensure the administrative process was not entirely stalled. The court clarified:
“There would be no bar on the continuation or conclusion of departmental inquiry proceedings against the petitioner.”
The state government has been directed to file its counter-affidavit within four weeks. The matter is scheduled for further hearing in the week commencing April 20, 2026.
