Police have slapped the charge of culpable homicide not amounting to murder on the driver of the minibus that allegedly hit a motorcycle before turning on its side, leaving two persons dead and 17 injured, on Dufferin Road on Saturday.

Sheikh Tousif, 36, who the police said was driving the bus when it met with the accident, was arrested at the Khanna crossing in north Calcutta on Sunday.

One of the two victims was 19-year-old Farhan Ahmed Khan, a resident of Dr Sudhir Bose Road in Watgunge. The other was Intajul Mondal, 57, from Nadia.

“The 14-year-old minibus has 26 citation cases against it. The owner has yet to pay the fine for any of the cases. Besides, there are 71 traffic violation cases that are yet to be settled in court,” an officer said on Sunday.

The driver has been charged under Section 304 (Part II) of the IPC, which deals with culpable homicide not amounting to murder. He has also been charged with attempt to culpable homicide not amounting to murder, rash and negligent driving, mischief, and rash and negligent act endangering human life.

The maximum punishment under Section 304 (Part II) is 10 years’ imprisonment.

In most fatal road accident cases, the accused drivers are charged with rash and negligent driving and causing death due to negligence. The charges carry a maximum punishment of two years in jail.

As for Saturday’s accident, the police said going by the nature of the crash, it was apparent the minibus was moving at a high speed, putting the lives of the passengers and people on the road at risk.