COIMBATORE: Coimbatore Rural Police arrested a 27-year-old man for setting a government bus on fire on Tuesday night over an argument with the driver. The arrested was identified as Vigneshkumar (26) of Sivaganga, who works as a cab driver in Chennai. As per police, Vigneshkumar was en route to his native Thondamuthur to see his wife and newborn child, when he got into an argument with the driver of a government bus, plying from Narasipuram to Ukkadam, over giving way to his bike near Santhaipettai. He was also frustrated over a family dispute.
Following this, the suspect brought petrol in a bottle for Rs30 and around 7.30 pm, when the bus stopped at Santhaipettai bus stop to board passengers, he poured it on the bus’s front tyre and set it on fire. Seeing this, passengers got down from the bus.
With the help of the public, the driver Sampathkumar and conductor Senkon managed to put off the fire. They also caught Vigneshkumar. He was then handed over to the Thondamuthur police station.
The police arrested him under section 436 of IPC and section 4 of the TNPPDL act, 1992. He was remanded in judicial custody on Wednesday. A similar case is already registered against him in Sivaganga district for setting a private property on fire, said Vadivelkumar, Inspector of Police.