LUCKNOW, Feb. 25 -- The double-decker sleeper bus that overturned on the Purvanchal Expressway, killing five people and injuring around 40, had 67 challans against it - yet it continued to operate across states.

The accident has shifted focus to a larger enforcement question: how does a commercial vehicle with dozens of recorded violations remain in service?

67 challans, Rs.6 lakh pending

According to RTO (enforcement) Prabhat Pandey, a total of 67 challans had been issued to the Haryana-registered bus over time. Of these, 50 were disposed of while 18 remain pending, including one issued on the fateful day. The outstanding amount is approximately Rs.6 lakh.

"Even after challans are issued, operations do not automatically stop. Many re...