The assault on the NWKRTC bus conductor in Belagavi, following an altercation with two students over the use of Marathi instead of Kannada, has escalated into an interstate dispute between Karnataka and Maharashtra. The rising tensions led to the suspension of bus services between the two states from Saturday afternoon.
Karnataka halted its bus operations to Maharashtra, restricting services only up to the Kognolli checkpoint at the border, while Maharashtra stopped its buses from entering Karnataka, limiting operations to Kagal taluk, the border area between the two states.
The issue took a political turn after a Maharashtra bus driver was attacked and his face blackened in Chitradurga, Karnataka, on Saturday. In retaliation, Shiv Sena (UBT) workers in Kolhapur, Maharashtra, tied saffron party flags to a Karnataka bus at the Kolhapur Central Bus Stand and painted it black.
Meanwhile, the case has taken a new turn after the girl involved in the argument with the conductor filed a complaint, alleging that he made inappropriate remarks and threatened her during the altercation. Belagavi Police Commissioner Ida Martin confirmed that a case has been registered based on the minor’s statement, and the conductor has been booked under Section 12 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.
Belagavi police have arrested three individuals in connection with the assault on an NWKRTC bus conductor and driver at Balekundri village.