India, Sept. 27 -- The Allahabad High Court on Friday took suo motu cognisance of a news report on the death of nine passengers in a fire that broke out in a sleeper bus on the Yamuna Expressway in Greater Noida on September 24, and sought a detailed report from the Uttar Pradesh government on safety checks and permits for such buses.

A single bench of justice Saurabh Shyam Shamshery directed state officials to file affidavits by October 13, disclosing the number of sleeper bus permits issued in the state over the past three years and whether prescribed safety standards were verified before permits were granted. The court also sought details on any modification to bus design that may have "compromised the security" and whether buses were...