Ex-serviceman brandishes gun, assaults driver

The police arrested an ex-serviceman on Friday after he brandished a revolver at a BMTC driver and assaulted him on Thippasandra Main Road.

The suspect, Santosh, is an ex-serviceman and a native of Uttar Pradesh. Preliminary investigation has revealed that he was employed by a builder by name Nishanth Reddy. The incident occurred at around 8 pm on Thippasandra Main Road. Kumar, Ramesh and Santosh, who were travelling by a car, neared a BMTC bus that was parked at a bus shelter. The bus driver Akmal Basha shouted at the driver of the car and directed them to reverse the car properly, said the police.

Ramesh and Kumar lost their cool after hearing Basha shouting at them. They got down from the car and started an argument with Basha. Santosh, who was inside the car, also got down and joined Ramesh and Kumar. He took out the revolver, brandished it at Basha and hit him repeatedly. Later, all the three fled the spot, the police added.

On receiving information from Basha, the police rushed to the spot and managed to trace  the car and arrested Santosh. The police recovered the weapon and seized the car. The New Thippasandra Road was blocked for an hour due to the incident.

“We have booked Santosh under IPC Section 353 (assault), 506 (criminal intimidation), 323 (voluntarily causing harm) and Arms Act. We are collecting more information about Reddy, who is reportedly in Kodagu,” DCP (East) N Satheesh Kumar said.