Bus crew beats up pilgrims from Kerala

MANGALORE: A group of pilgrims from Kerala on their way to the city from Kollur were allegedly beaten up by the crew of the express bus in which they were travelling over a dispute on the point of alighting here on Saturday.
Mangalore North (Bunder) police who have registered a case said the bus crew, Santhosh, the driver, and Prasad, the conductor, beat up Pushpamma and her relative Jayachandran Nair following the dispute.
The bus crew had assured Pushpamma and her group while boarding the bus that they would be made to alight at a place close to the Mangalore Central Railway station. However, when the bus reached Hampankatta, the bus crew allegedly asked the group to alight there. When they refused, the bus crew abused them and beat up Pushpamma and Nair, hailing from Thiruvananthapuram district with an iron rod.
Police have registered a case under sections 326 (voluntarily causing grievous hurt by dangerous weapons or means), 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace), and 506 (punishment for criminal intimidation) of Indian Penal Code against the bus crew on a complaint from Pushpamma. The Mangalore North Police Inspector Umesh G Shet said police are treating the incident seriously and investigating the case.