PALAKKAD: A three-member gang, who were allegedly in an inebriated condition, assaulted a KSRTC bus driver alleging the latter did not allow their vehicle passage.
The incident happened at Panniyampadam near Mundur on the Palakkad-Kozhikode SH. The bus driver, Aboobacker of Chempekad, Valluvampuram in Malappuram, sustained injuries. The bus was plying on the Palakkad-Kozhikode route.
When the KSRTC bus reached Muttikulangara, it was stopped for some time due to reduced visibility following smoke emitted by a tipper lorry, before resuming its journey. The members of a marriage party travelling in a Tata Sumo, going from Palakkad to Mannarkad, alleged the bus was blocking their way. In the meantime, some youths got out of the Tata Sumo, climbed into the driver’s cabin and began beating the driver up mercilessly.
The youths also parked the Sumo in front of the bus, obstructing its way. Having sustained injuries to his nose, the driver was admitted to the Mannarkad taluk hospital and later shifted to the Manjeri Medical College. Aboobacker told the police the youths were in an inebriated condition. He also said the passengers in the bus did not respond.
However, one of the passengers shot the entire incident on his mobile phone which helped identify the culprits. Based on the video footage, the Hemambika Nagar Police have registered cases against three youths - Dinesh, Dilip and Aneesh Kumar.