The Bengaluru police arrested a man, identified as 25-year-old Harsha Sinha, a native of Jharkhand, for stabbing a bus conductor in a BMTC Volvo bus on Tuesday, October 1. The incident occurred when conductor Yogesh, 45, asked the accused not to stand near the door of the bus. Harsha, who had recently been terminated from his job at a BPO firm, responded violently, pulling out a knife and stabbing the conductor.
The bus was near Vydehi Circle in Whitefield at around 5:15 pm when the incident occurred. Following the stabbing, Harsha went on a rampage threatening other passengers with the knife. However, the bus driver, Siddalingaswamy, immediately locked the bus doors, trapping the attacker inside. The accused attempted to escape by breaking the glass doors, even using a hammer to damage the bus. However, passengers and the driver called the police, leading to his arrest.
A video of the incident, captured on the bus's CCTV and mobile phones, went viral on social media, which shows Harsha threatening other passengers and using the hammer to damage the bus windows after he was locked inside.
According to the Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC), the bus conductor, Yogesh, was quickly transported to Vydehi Hospital, where he received medical care and was declared out of danger.
In a statement, BMTC commended the driver for his swift response in locking Harsha inside the bus. “Following the attack, Mr. Sinha threatened other passengers and demanded they vacate the bus immediately. In a further act of aggression, the assailant used a hammer to damage the bus's windows and other property,” it said.
“We commend the swift and decisive actions of our driver, Mr. Siddalingaswamy, who locked the attacker inside the bus, ensuring the safety of all passengers. With the assistance of passengers, he called the police and emergency services. Conductor Yogesh was quickly shifted to Vydehi Hospital for treatment, where he is now out of danger and receiving medical care,” BMTC added
During police interrogation, Harsha reportedly said that he had been carrying the knife and hammer while searching for the manager who had fired him. He has been charged with attempted murder.