Man ‘frustrated’ over job loss stabs bus conductor

A 25-year-old man has been arrested for allegedly stabbing a bus conductor after being asked not to stand near the bus door

A 25-year-old man has been arrested for allegedly stabbing a Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) bus conductor after being asked not to stand near the bus door, said police officers familiar with the matter.

The accused was enraged after the conductor requested him to move away from the door to avoid obstructing other passengers (File photo)

The incident took place on Tuesday evening in the Whitefield area of Bengaluru. According to police, the accused, identified as Harsha Sinha, was enraged after conductor Yogesh requested him to move away from the door to avoid obstructing other passengers.

“The confrontation took place at around 5.15pm when the bus reached Vydehi Circle. Conductor Yogesh instructed Sinha to move inside the bus, explaining that standing near the door would hinder passengers from boarding and alighting. When Sinha ignored the instruction, the conductor repeated his request, which infuriated Sinha. In a sudden outburst, Sinha pulled out a machete from his bag and stabbed Yogesh multiple times in the stomach,” said a senior police officer, requesting anonymity.

After the stabbing, Sinha escalated the situation by grabbing the emergency hammer from the bus and smashing the windows, creating panic. The bus driver, Siddalinga Swamy, then locked Sinha inside the bus while other passengers escaped from the bus.

Officers from the Whitefield police station arrived at the scene shortly after and took Sinha into custody.

Yogesh was rushed to a local hospital where he is recovering from his injuries and is reportedly out of danger.

“The accused lost his job 20 days back and was mentally disturbed,” Whitefield deputy commissioner of police Shiva Kumar Gunare told HT. “Sinha, originally from Jharkhand and living in Bengaluru for the last two years, had attended a job interview earlier in the day but left feeling hopeless. His frustration boiled over on the bus,” he added.

Sinha was booked under sections 109 (attempt to murder) and 324 (mischief) of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) at Whitefield police station and was produced before Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (ACMM) court on Wednesday. The court sent him to judicial custody for 14 days, he added.

In a press release, the Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) provided further details of the incident. The BMTC also praised the driver for his quick action. “The attacker even threatened all the co-passengers to get down from the bus immediately. The accused also used a hammer to smash the window glass of the bus. The driver locked the attacker inside the bus and called the police and emergency services with the help of passengers,” the release added.