A 25-year-old man has been arrested for reportedly stabbing a Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) bus conductor after being told not to stand near the bus entrance, according to police authorities acquainted with the case.
The event occurred on Tuesday evening in the Whitefield neighborhood of Bengaluru. According to police, the accused, Harsha Sinha, became upset after conductor Yogesh asked him to move away from the door to avoid disturbing other passengers.
“The confrontation occurred approximately 5.15 p.m., when the bus arrived at Vydehi Circle. Conductor Yogesh directed Sinha to move inside the bus, claiming that staying near the door would prevent passengers from entering and disembarking.
When Sinha rejected the request, the conductor repeated it, infuriating Sinha. Sinha pulled out a machete from his backpack and stabbed Yogesh numerous times in the stomach,” claimed a senior police official who asked not to be identified.
Following the stabbing, Sinha worsened the situation by stealing the emergency hammer off the bus and smashing the windows, causing panic. Siddalinga Swamy, the bus driver, then locked Sinha inside while the other passengers escaped.
Officers from the Whitefield police station came on the scene shortly after and arrested Sinha.
Yogesh was brought to a local hospital, where he is allegedly healing from his injuries and is no longer in danger.
“The accused had lost his job 20 days ago and was mentally disturbed,” Whitefield deputy commissioner of police Shiva Kumar Gunare. “Sinha, who is originally from Jharkhand and has been in Bengaluru for the past two years, had gone to a job interview earlier in the day but left feeling bleak. “His frustration boiled over on the bus,” he explained.
Sinha was arrested at Whitefield police station under sections 109 (attempt to kill) and 324 (mischief) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and brought before the Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (ACMM) court on Wednesday. He stated that the judge sentenced him to 14 days in judicial custody.
In a news release, the Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) revealed additional information about the incident. The BMTC also applauded the driver for his prompt action. “The attacker even threatened all of the other passengers to get off the bus immediately. The accused also used a hammer to destroy the bus’s window glass. The driver secured the assailant inside the bus and summoned police and emergency services with the assistance of passengers, according to the release.