Karnataka bus conductor assaulted in Belagavi for not speaking in Marathi; 4 held
Conductor Mahadevappa Mallappa Hukkeri said he was assaulted by several people in Belagavi after he told a girl passenger that he did not know Marathi language
Four people have been arrested in Belagavi in Karnataka on charges of assaulting a conductor of a state-run bus for not replying to a passenger in Marathi, police said on Saturday (February 22).
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The shocking incident occurred on Friday on the outskirts of Belagavi town near the border with Maharashtra.
The 51-year-old conductor has also been booked under the POCSO Act, police said.
Conductor’s version
Conductor Mahadevappa Mallappa Hukkeri said a girl who boarded the bus with a male in Sulebhavi village spoke to him in Marathi.
Hukkeri said he told her that he did not know Marathi and asked her to speak in Kannada.
"When I said I don't know Marathi, the girl abused me saying that I must learn Marathi. Suddenly a large number of people gathered and assaulted me on my head and all over the body," he said.
Case against conductor
The conductor was admitted to the Belagavi Institute of Medical Sciences, police said. He had suffered minor injuries but was said to be out of danger.
A police officer said four people had been arrested for the assault.
After a complaint by the 14-year-old girl, a case was filed against the conductor under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act for allegedly using derogatory remarks against her.
Some culprits absconding
Belagavi Police Commissioner Iada Martin Marbaniang said some others accused of assaulting the conductor were on the run. "All those involved in the incident will be arrested soon," he said.
After the incident, pro-Kannada activists staged a protest on Saturday by blocking the Belagavi-Bagalkote road and burning effigies. They were whisked away by the police.
Activists also staged a protest in front of the Marihal police station condemning the attack on the conductor.
A simmering row
Belagavi in Karnataka has a substantial Marathi-speaking population, some of whom want the district merged with neighbouring Maharashtra.
This demand is opposed by the state government as well as Kannadigas living in Belagavi.