Driver blows horn to make way for bus, crew assaulted in return

Bengaluru : In an incident that occurred on Saturday crew of a BMTC route were roughed up by hooligans on Tannery Road in DJ Halli. Two individuals assaulted a BMTC driver and conductor after the driver blew the bus horn to request a path on the road. The driver, Gagan, and conductor, Shivakumar, both employed at the Yelahanka Depot, were operating their regular route from Yelahanka to Shivajinagar when the altercation took place.

Police sources stated that two men on a motorcycle initially blocked the bus, driving recklessly and causing an obstruction. Gagan honked to signal them to move, which led the bikers to tail the bus until it reached the Canara Bank stop. When Gagan opened the door, the men forced their way onto the bus, launching verbal abuse and physical attacks.

As Gagan endured punches, Shivakumar tried to intervene but was pulled outside and beaten repeatedly in front of onlookers. Shivakumar suffered injuries to his face, neck, and torso and required hospitalisation following the attack.

The confrontation was recorded on the bus’s CCTV camera, with police now examining this footage along with nearby area CCTV to identify the perpetrators, who are suspected to have been under the influence of drugs.

This incident marks the fourth reported assault on BMTC staff within the last 45 days. Earlier, on September 8, a passenger attempted to stab a conductor at the Hosur Road Bus Station. Another incident occurred on October 1, where conductor Yogesh was attacked with a knife near ITPL, and on October 18, conductor Sangappa was assaulted with a stone near Tin Factory.

Following a complaint filed by Gagan, DJ Halli Police have begun an investigation into this most recent assault, with a focus on ensuring swift justice for the affected BMTC staff.