BMTC crew assault man over Rs 3

Police on Saturday arrested the crew of a BMTC bus for assaulting a 21-year-old electrician over the return of Rs 3 fare balance.

Venkatachalapathi the conductor and Rajesh the driver, both residents of KR Puram were arrested in connection with the case. The duo work for depot number 41 in Gunjur near Varthur.

Mohammed Tousif, from Bihar, was returning home from Tin Factory where he works and was aboard the bus at Marathahalli around 10.30 pm. Tousif wanted to go to Whitefield and gave Rs 20 to conductor Venkatachalapathi. The conductor gave him a ticket and wrote Rs 3 on it, so as to return the change later.

After covering some distance, Tousif asked the conductor to return the change. Venkatachalapathi got very angry and told Tousif to wait until he got down at his stop. Tousif was shouted at and abused by the conductor further on. But Tousif too raised his voice. Overhearing the argument, driver Rajesh stopped the bus. Then both started assaulting Tousif. They banged his head and pushed him. As Tousif fell near the door, he sustained injuries, a senior police officer said.

The police officer further added that as Tousif raised an alarm, fellow passengers at the scene came to his rescue and took him to the hospital. He then filed a complaint at the HAL police station. Police arrested both conductor and driver thereafter.