Police probing the minibus accident on the Maidan last Thursday that killed a motorcyclist and left 14 passengers injured have concluded that the vehicle had no mechanical fault and the crash was caused by a human error.

The driver of the minibus, Syed Ibrar Hossain, 35, was arrested from his relative’s home in Baranagar late on Saturday.

He has been booked under IPC sections related to causing culpable homicide not amounting to murder (part II), which signifies that the accused had knowledge about the consequence of his actions, rash and negligent driving, mischief and attempt to commit culpable homicide not amounting to murder.

If convicted, Hossain can be imprisoned for 10 years.

“A preliminary forensic examination of the bus suggested that there was no mechanical fault and the accident appeared to be the outcome of a human error,” said an officer of the traffic department.

The minibus, most of whose seats were dislodged under the impact of the collision, has 84 citation cases pending against it.

Traffic cops said the citation cases included those of traffic violations like jumping a traffic signal or violating the central line. The bus also has five “sticker” cases against it, which means it had been spotted parked in a no-parking zone at least five times.

Witnesses had said the bus and the motorcycle both were heading towards Esplanade, when the bus apparently hit the two-wheeler from the rear seconds before crashing into balustrades outside Fort William.

The motorcyclist, Vivekananda Dab, a constable of the reserve force of Calcutta police, fell under the bus and could be extricated only after three cranes lifted the mangled remains of the vehicle. Dab died on the spot.

The accident happened on Day 1 of the resumption of public transport in the state following a curb that had been in force since May 16 as a precaution against Covid.