PRAYAGRAJ, Sept. 27 -- The Allahabad high court on Friday took suo motu cognisance of a Hindustan Times report on the death of nine passengers in a sleeper bus fire 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 modifications to bus designs that may have "compromised the security" and whether buses were carrying commercial parcels. The court sought details of border-checking points and night inspections, including whether officials check fire extinguishers and emergency exits and verify the training of drivers and conductors. It also sought details of criminal action and its outcomes in similar accidents over the past three years. The court referred to news reports, including one published in HT, and Rajya Sabha data showing 45 bus fire incidents between January 2023 and December 10, 2025, which caused 64 deaths and 145 injuries across India. It also cited three earlier UP incidents - a July 2023 fire on the Rae Bareli-Prayagraj-Lucknow Highway that killed three, a November 2024 fire on the Kannauj-Lucknow-Agra Expressway that killed four, and a December 2025 fire on the Yamuna Expressway that killed 13. The court said there was "scope of improvement" in the transport department's checking mechanism and directed authorities to intensify regular inspections. "It appears that AC Sleeper Buses are operating without proper check and without proper safeguards, such as fire extinguishers, etc. It also appears that drivers and conductors of buses are not trained to act responsibly in any such mishappenings," the court observed. It directed authorities to take action against the driver, conductor and licensee if the bus was found to have violated government rules, including considering a ban on buses operated by the licensee....