In Belagavi, four individuals were arrested for assaulting a bus conductor who failed to respond to a passenger in Marathi. The incident occurred when the conductor, Mahadevappa Mallappa Hukkeri, informed a female passenger that he did not understand Marathi and requested she speak in Kannada. Following an abusive response, he was violently attacked by a crowd, resulting in minor injuries. Hukkeri has also been charged under the POCSO Act for allegedly making derogatory comments to a 14-year-old girl during the altercation. The ongoing tension is linked to linguistic issues in a region with a significant Marathi-speaking population.
Belagavi:
On Saturday, police announced the arrest of four individuals who allegedly attacked a bus conductor from the state-owned transport corporation for not responding to a passenger in Marathi.
The altercation took place on the outskirts of Belagavi, the district headquarters town that borders Maharashtra, on Friday, according to authorities.
The conductor has been charged under the POCSO Act, police reported.
With tears in his eyes, 51-year-old conductor Mahadevappa Mallappa Hukkeri recounted to reporters that a woman who boarded the bus with her male companion at Sulebhavi village spoke to him in Marathi. Hukkeri stated that he informed her he did not understand Marathi and requested she communicate in Kannada.
“When I indicated that I didn’t know Marathi, the girl insulted me and insisted that I should learn the language. Suddenly, a crowd gathered and began to beat me on my head and throughout my body,” the conductor recounted.
The injured conductor was taken to the Belagavi Institute of Medical Sciences, where it was confirmed he suffered minor injuries and is in stable condition.
“A case has been filed, and we have arrested four individuals linked to the assault on the conductor. Following a counter complaint filed by a 14-year-old girl, a case was also registered against the conductor under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act for allegedly making derogatory comments towards her,” a senior police official stated.
“No arrests have been made thus far regarding the POCSO Act case. We are in the process of investigating the allegations, and appropriate actions will follow based on the findings,” he added.
Belagavi has a significant population that speaks Marathi, and some among them have been advocating for the district’s merger with Maharashtra, a move that faces strong opposition from both the state and the Kannada speakers residing in the area.
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