GADAG: Two masked men on a bike pelted stones on a bus which was coming to Gadag from Hubballi on Tuesday morning. The bus was travelling from Hubballi to Hospete and the incident happened at Hubballi – Gadag bypass road around 7:15 am.
The attackers rode ahead of the bus, stopped in front of it, and hurled stones before fleeing the scene.
Fortunately, no injuries were reported as the bus was carrying only 20 to 25 passengers at the time. Following the incident, the driver drove the bus to Gadag and halted there, reportedly in a state of fear.
The driver of the bus said, “We were coming from Hubballi to Gadag and when we reached Hubballi bypass, two men came on a bike and they wore masks to their faces, and they came so fast and overtook the bus and pelted stones from the front side and they went away. We could not see their faces, nor we could not recognise who they are and many passengers had not even seen the vehicle number. Later police came to the spot and told us to go slowly and reach the Gadag bus stand. Luckily, no one was hurt”.
While Gadag has witnessed several KSRTC strikes in the past, this is the first reported case of stone pelting on a bus. The attack has left the passengers traumatised, with many expressing fear over using private buses after witnessing such an incident.
A passenger who travelled in the Hubballi Hospete bus said, “We were coming for our daily work as we do job in Gadag and daily travel from Hubballi to Gadag. We were just watching the window as it was drizzling outside, and suddenly we heard the glass breaking sound. Some of us went from our seat and saw two masked men going on a bike. The driver asked us to check whether anybody was hurt, and we checked and nobody was hurt. The masked men should be arrested and should be given strict punishment for such an act”.