Mumbai: A 29-year-old man was arrested on Tuesday for allegedly abusing and assaulting a BEST bus driver and conductor after he was told not to sit on the metal rod near the front door of the bus causing inconvenience to passengers alighting the bus.
The accused is identified as Imran Suleman Shaikh.
According to the police, the incident took place around 4.30 pm at the bus stop near Ovaripada in Dahisar East. On Tuesday, the complainant identified as Vijaykumar Gaikwad was given the duty of issuing tickets at the bus stop for bus route 297 travelling from Borivali to Konkanipada in Dahisar.
“I had issued a few tickets on the ground and moved inside the bus when a man was standing on the steps, blocking the front door of the bus,” he said. “I told him a few times to move away, but he did not listen. I had to then assert myself and tell him to move out. He then blurted out some abuses and moved out of my way.”
Gaikwad added that while returning, he noticed the passenger sitting on the metal rod of the front exit door.
“The accused was blocking the door and therefore Gaikwad told him to get up from there,” said Pravin Patil, senior police inspector, at Dahisar police station.
Shaikh got angry and began abusing Gaikwad. When Gaikwad told him to calm down, Shaikh slapped him after which the bus driver Santosh Gumbre intervened. Shaikh, who was agitated, abused Gumbre and hit him too. He then rushed out of the bus and tried to flee.
“I chased Shaikh as he ran down, but before I could catch him, Shaikh turned and picked up a paver block and flung it towards me. I ducked and escaped, but Shaikh picked up another one and threw it in my direction,” said Gaikwad. He added that he tried to block the paver block but it hit his hand and hit Gumbre who was standing behind Gaikwad.
Patil said that within seconds, the Dahisar police received a call about the assault from a bus passenger. “We reached the spot and arrested Shaikh immediately. Gumbre was rushed to the Shatabdi hospital where he has been admitted as an indoor patient,” said Patil.