KOCHI: Maradu police on Tuesday arrested five more persons in connection with the Suresh Kallada Travels crew assaulting the passengers on board the bus journeying from Thiruvananthapuram to Bengaluru on Saturday. Kallada Travels office staff Girilal, drivers of the bus Kumar, Vishnu, Anwarudheen, and technician of Volvo, Jithin, are the arrested. According to Maradu SI Byju P Babu, seven accused have been arrested in connection with the case and detailed investigation is progressing.
The office staff of Kallada Travels, Jayesh and Jishnu, were arrested on Monday. According to SI Byju, cases have been registered under IPC section 323 (punishment of voluntarily causing hurt), 324 (voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons or means), 294 (B) (uttering obscene words in or near any public place), 308 (attempt to commit culpable homicide), 392 (punishment for robbery), 506 (punishment for criminal intimidation), 143 (punishment for being a part of unlawful assembly), 148 (rioting, armed with deadly weapon), and 149 (every member of unlawful assembly guilty of offence committed in prosecution of common object).
The assault took place on Sunday morning at Vyttila, following an altercation between passengers and crew of the bus, when the bus had earlier broken down at Haripad. According to the complainant Ajay Ghosh, around 15 people assaulted them. Following the incident, the Kerala Police has confiscated the bus and has sent a notice to the owner of the bus to report to ADGP Manoj Abraham.
According to Ashkar, one of the BTech students who was a victim of the assault, while he was running from the assailants, said he had contacted the police. “We called the Highway Police and the Maradu police officers arrived at the scene within minutes. However, they left us on the road and went in search of Sachin, who had lost his way while running from the goons who’d followed us,” said Ashkar.
SI Byju said it is as yet unconfirmed whether the students were followed and chased on foot. “Though they claim they were chased for over three hours on bikes by the assaulters, we are yet to ascertain this. CCTV visuals from the area are being studied, and the probe is going on,” said Byju.
Detailed probe in progress
Kallada Travels office staff Girilal, drivers of the bus Kumar, Vishnu, Anwarudheen, and technician of Volvo, Jithin, are the arrested. According to Maradu SI Byju P Babu, seven accused have been arrested in connection with the case and detailed investigation is progressing.