O n the night of October 23, 2025, after holidaying in Hyderabad, Nelakurthy Ramesh, 30, boarded a bus bound for Bengaluru with his wife and two children. Sharing the journey was Ramesh’s extended family — his cousin, cousin’s wife, and their two children. All of them settled into the berths of the sleeper bus, operated by V-Kaveri Travels, a private “luxury bus service” as per its website.

The bus had started its journey from Kukatpally, a suburb in north-western Hyderabad, around 9.40 p.m. The two families boarded the bus at L.B. Stadium, which is about 9 kilometres from Kukatpally. There were 44 passengers and two drivers in the bus, according to the travel agency’s ticket list. Some of the passengers fell asleep in the air-conditioned bus, while others remained glued to their phones,

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