The men who brazenly assaulted a bus conductor for asking him to speak in Kannada are now in police custody. The Marihal police, who had earlier arrested four individuals, including a minor, have now detained another accused, Mohan Hanchinamani (25).
Conductor Mahadevappa had complained two days ago, leading to the initial arrests. With Hanchinamani’s arrest, the total number of people taken into custody in connection with the case has risen to five. However, police continue their search for additional suspects who have gone into hiding ahead of Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy’s visit to Belagavi tomorrow.
Meanwhile, the suspension of bus services between Karnataka and Maharashtra has left passengers stranded. MP Govind Karajol has urged the government to restore services as soon as possible. Minister Ramalinga Reddy is set to visit Belagavi tomorrow(Monday), where he will hold a meeting with transport officials to assess the situation and discuss restarting bus operations.
Due to the heightened tensions at the border, bus services to Maharashtra have been suspended, leaving passengers stranded in Belagavi, Kolhapur, and Pune.
Over a hundred buses typically operate from Belagavi, but most are currently running only up to the Karnataka border. The transport department has instructed that buses should not enter Maharashtra if the situation remains volatile, further worsening the travel crisis for commuters.