KOCHI: Tension gripped Koonammavu on Friday after a private bus, packed with passengers, was attacked by a group of unidentified men in a suspected case of road rage. The incident occurred around noon when the group, travelling in two cars, overtook and blocked the bus, leading to a confrontation that ended with the bus’s front windshield being severely damaged.
According to police, the incident happened around 11.50am when the bus ‘Infant Jesus’, plying on the North Paravur-Vyttila Hub route, reached Koonammavu.
After a black car aggressively overtook the bus and forced it to stop, a second car quickly arrived on the scene, and a heated verbal duel ensued between the bus crew and the occupants of the cars.The situation escalated dramatically when one member of the group allegedly hurled a large stone at the bus, smashing the front windshield, said an officer with the Varappuzha police station.
“Prima facie, it appears to be a case of road rage,” the officer said. The police launched an immediate investigation following a complaint from the bus owner, who submitted crucial CCTV footage recovered from the bus’ internal cameras.
The registered owners of the vehicles involved in the incident have been summoned to the police station. “We’ll record their statements and then register a case,” the officer confirmed.
The cops are also checking whether the bus had brushed past the car earlier or whether the road rage was over not giving passage. The bus owner expressed outrage over the reckless attack.