Karnataka Bus Conductor Thrashed By Locals For Not Speaking In Marathi, 3 Arrested
Mahadev Hukkeri, a bus conductor, said the altercation erupted when a man and a woman told him to speak in Marathi while asking for free tickets. Three individuals have been arrested.
In a shocking incident, a Karnataka bus conductor was beaten up by locals in Belagavi for not being able to speak in Marathi. Mahadev Hukkeri sustained internal injuries as a result of the assault.
A video of the assault went viral on social media showing the conductor being physically and verbally assaulted by a group of people on a bus. Police have arrested three individuals and apprehended a minor in connection with the assault.
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Hukkeri, a conductor of the Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC), told news agency ANI that the heated altercation arose when a man and a woman boarded a bus in Belagavi, where the majority of passengers were women.
“In Karnataka, bus rides are 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. I told them in Kannada that bus ride is not free for men," he said.
“They told me to speak in Marathi but I don’t know Marathi and asked them to speak to me in Kannada… (At least) 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," Hukkeri added.
Police Assures Action
Officials told ANI that the incident took place on a semi-urban CBT-Sulebhavi bus at around 12:30 pm, where the couple threatened the conductor for not being able to speak in Marathi and called their accomplices to attack him.
Maruti Turumuri, Rahul Naidu, and Balu Gojagekar were arrested in connection with the incident. DCP Rohan Jagadhish visited the BIMS Hospital in Belagavi and enquired about the health of the conductor.
He also assured that the matter would be investigated and appropriate action would be taken against the perpetrators. The three accused were presented before the court on Friday and remanded to 14 days of judicial custody.
In the last few months, disputes over language have escalated since Chief Minister Siddaramaiah called on people to protect the Kannada language. There have been several instances where people have been attacked for not being able to speak the state’s native tongue.
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