A day after the clash between two bus owners’ associations spilled onto the streets of the Capital, Commissionerate Police woke up from its slumber and suspended an Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) of police for dereliction of duty. Five miscreants, who had attacked people at Capital Hospital and Baramunda Bus Stand, have been arrested.
The dispute between two warring factions of the bus operators, which led to the attack and counter-attack, had left at least eight persons injured on Monday. The Capital Police Station on Tuesday arrested four persons who had gone berserk at Capital Hospital. Khandagiri Police Station arrested one in connection with the attack at the bus stand in the evening.
Shatrughna Behera, the ASI of Khandagiri Police Station, was suspended after preliminary investigation revealed that he had fled the bus stand instead of taking control of the situation when the miscreants launched an attack on members of Bus Owners’ Association, Bhubaneswar and damaged over a half a dozen buses parked at the bus stand.
On Tuesday morning, bus service from Baramunda stand was affected for several hours as Bhubaneswar Bus Owners’ Association and Rajdhani Bus Owners’ Association, which are at loggerheads, decided not to ply buses leaving passengers inconvenienced.
Later, a meeting was held by the police with the bus operators’ associations where both sides demanded action against the miscreants and a permanent solution to the problems.
Additional DCP P K Ray, who chaired the meeting, assured them of action. Bus service resumed at 4 pm.
Meanwhile, Commissioner of Police Sunil Roy is believed to have directed local police to book miscreants under the National Security Act if such incidents recur in future.
Though police took action after Monday’s attacks, Baramunda Bus Stand has become a hub of criminal elements and the violence there was only waiting to happen. With anti-socials joining hands with unscrupulous operators running buses without required permits and clearance, a clash over bus timings and operation was expected.
The local police, though in the loop, watched as mute spectator and the Transport Department did precious little to bring order.