Karnataka, Maharashtra suspend bus services after assault on conductor in Belagavi

A total of 90 buses from Belagavi division and 125 from Chikkodi division of NWKRTC ply towards Maharashtra. Twenty buses of MSRTC ply in Belagavi division and 70 in Chikkodi division.

Belagavi: Bus services between Karnataka and Maharashtra were suspended by both KSRTC and MSRTC on Saturday after 7 pm following tension triggered by the assault on an NWKRTC bus conductor in Belagavi district on Friday when he told a boy and girl to speak in Kannada.

Meanwhile, four people, including a minor, were taken into custody on Saturday in connection with Friday's assault. The girl also filed a case under the Pocso Act against the conductor in the early hours of Saturday, triggering protests by Kannada activists who laid siege to Marihal police station at Sulebhavi, demanding withdrawal of the case against the conductor. They alleged that the police succumbed to political pressure.

NWKRTC divisional controller, Belagavi, Rajesh Huddar said that on instructions by the police, services to Maharashtra were stopped in the evening. Buses from the state were plying till Kognoli in Nippani and MSRTC buses were returning from Kognoli.

In all, 90 buses from Belagavi division and 125 from Chikkodi division ply towards Maharashtra. A total of 20 buses of MSRTC ply in Belagavi division and 70 in Chikkodi division. 

Conductor Mahadev Hukkeri and driver Khatal Momin were assaulted by a group at Balekundri on Friday after a boy and girl, who boarded bus, threatened the conductor when he said he can't speak Marathi. The boy and girl then called their accomplices who assaulted the crew.

The police, who had initially tried to downplay incident, took four suspects identified as Maruti Turmuri, Balu Gojgekar and Rahul Naidu, residents of Balekundri village, and a minor into custody, after a video of the conductor being assaulted went viral.

Medical tests were conducted on the suspects at Belagavi Institute of Medical Sciences. They were produced in court and sent to 14-day judicial custody. The police are on the lookout for more suspects.

Hukkeri claimed a false complaint was filed against him.

Karnataka Rakshana Vedike activists demanded suspension of the police officer, who they claimed registered a false complaint. They accused inspector Gururaj Kalyanshetti of succumbing to political pressure.

Kalyanshetti said he filed the case on his seniors' advice. He said the girl was accompanied by an advocate and had accused the conductor of staring at her and making certain gestures. Activist Ayeshsa Sanadi accused Kalyanshetti for "meting injustice to Kannadigas" and the conductor. She claimed the police too were staring at her and she would file a case against them.

Police arrested eight Kannada activists of Nava Nirmana Sena for reportedly blackening the face of the driver of  Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation with ink near Guilala toll plaza on National Highway-48 in Hiriyur in Chitradurga district on Friday night.