Four individuals have been arrested for allegedly assaulting a Karnataka state transport bus conductor after he failed to respond to a passenger in Marathi, police said on Saturday. The incident occurred on Friday on the outskirts of Belagavi, a district bordering Maharashtra, which has long been a hotspot for language and regional disputes.
Incident Details
According to the police, the altercation began when a female passenger and her male companion boarded the bus at Sulebhavi village. The 51-year-old conductor, Mahadevappa Mallappa Hukkeri, reportedly informed the woman that he did not understand Marathi and asked her to speak in Kannada.
This led to an argument, during which the woman allegedly abused the conductor, insisting that he should know Marathi. Soon after, a crowd gathered and began assaulting Hukkeri, hitting him on the head and across his body.
The injured conductor was admitted to the Belagavi Institute of Medical Sciences. While he sustained minor injuries, doctors confirmed that he is out of danger.
Legal Action Taken
Following the incident, the police registered a case and arrested four individuals involved in the assault. However, in a twist, the conductor himself has also been booked under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.
A senior police officer stated that a 14-year-old girl who was present during the altercation filed a counter-complaint, accusing the conductor of making derogatory remarks. “No arrest has been made yet in connection with the POCSO case. We need to investigate the allegations before taking further action,” the officer added.
Context of the Dispute
Belagavi has a significant Marathi-speaking population, and a section of the community has been advocating for the district’s merger with Maharashtra, a demand opposed by the Karnataka government and Kannada-speaking residents. Language-based tensions in the region have flared up periodically, making incidents like these particularly sensitive.
Sources By Agencies
