Pune, March 20 -- In a shocking development in the Hinjawadi bus fire incident, in which four people were charred to death, it has come to light that the driver, identified as Janardan Hambardikar, had allegedly "pre-meditated" the incident, a senior police official of Pimpri Chinchwad said on Thursday.

According to Senior Police Inspector Kanhaiya Thorat of the Hinjawadi Police Station, Hambardikar allegedly placed highly inflammable chemicals under his seat and deliberately set the vehicle ablaze, attempting to disguise it as an accident.

Police investigations suggest that Hambardikar harboured grievances against his colleagues and was enraged over not receiving his salary on time, the lack of a Diwali bonus, extra work, and daily dis...