Belagavi (Karnataka) [India], February 22 : After four people were arrested following an attack on a bus driver and conductor in Karnataka's Belagavi, the police said on Saturday that they received a complaint from the girls side also who alleged that the conductor made indecent remarks on her.
Speaking to ANI, Belagavi Commissioner Lada Martin Marbaniang said that a complaint was received in which the victim said that he was assaulted by a group of 4-5 people who had an argument with him on a bus because of a language difference.
A boy and girl who had boarded the semi-urban CBT-Sulebhavi bus had allegedly threatened the conductor as he was not able to speak in Marathi and, following this called their accomplices who assaulted them at Balekundri.
"The bus conductor was speaking in different languages and passengers in different ones. On the basis of the complaint, already four people have been taken into custody, and the police are making more enquiries. We are trying to find out if any more people are involved. The case has been registered and an action has already been taken," Marbaniang said.
"The girl has also given a complaint stating that during the argument, the bus conductor made some indecent remarks and made a threat to her. So accordingly, the case has also been registered on the basis of her complaint," the police commissioner added.
Karnataka Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy asserted that the police took swift action in the matter.
"The police took action and the court has sent the accused to 14 days of judicial custody. The law will take action. The police have acted swiftly," Reddy said.
NA Haris, Congress MLA and Chairman of KSRTC said that whatever has happened is not correct.
"Every local should try to speak in Kannada. If you don't know it, then you should not be attacking the person who is asking you to do it. That is not fair. The government has taken action, and they have been arrested. We will not spare them as it is not acceptable," Haris said.
Mahadev Hukkeri, the KSRTC conductor who was assaulted, said that 6-7 people attacked him in the bus following the argument.
"A woman and a man were sitting in the bus, majority of the passengers in the bus were women, I was distributing tickets, in Karnataka, the bus ride is free for women...the woman sitting with the man asked for two free tickets, I gave her one and asked, for whom do you want the second ticket, she pointed towards the man. But, I told them that in Karnataka, bus ride is not free for men. Then they told me to speak in Marathi, but I don't know Marathi and asked them to speak to me in Kannada...6-7 people on the bus attacked me. Once the bus was stopped, there were around 50 people there and they also beat me up," the conductor alleged.
Protests also erupted in the area following the dispute.
Raju Nashipudi, Karnataka Rakshana Vedike District President, Belagavi, said that instead of giving justice to the conductor, a case has been registered against him under the POCSO Act.
"The incident that took place in Belagavi, the conductor was doing his duty. Then, a female student forced him to speak in Marathi and when the conductor said he didn't know Marathi, the boys who were with the girl, attacked him. Instead of giving justice to the conductor, who was attacked, a case has been registered against him under the POCSO act...we will protest outside the Police station where the case has been registered," he told ANI.