Bhubaneswar: A disturbing incident, the guide of an ‘Ama Bus’ allegedly assaulted a passenger after a heated argument, causing injury to the man in Unit 8 area of Bhubaneswar on Thursday.
The incident sparked widespread outrage after a video went viral on social media platforms.
Eyewitnesses said an altercation over return of balance money escalated when the guide of the bus plying on route number 28 got angry and physically assaulted the passenger in full public view. The passenger reportedly sustained injuries and fell on the road.
The incident, which took place at a busy bus stop, triggered anger among locals and commuters. The injured man was rushed to a nearby hospital for immediate treatment.
Meanwhile, Capital Region Urban Transport (CRUT), which operated the Ama Bus service, issued a statement expressing regret over the incident. A dispute started with the guide over the refund of remaining amount of a passenger travelling in the bus. Later, it escalated into a fight, it said.
After preliminary probe, the guide in charge has been immediately dismissed from his job. In this regard, the Revenue Collection Agency (RCA) has submitted an FIR at the local police station. A special team has been formed to further investigate the matter, it said.
All the guides and captains working with buses are being provided with regular behavior and tolerance training. Under this, more than 1500 employees have received training. The CRUT authorities are paying proper attention to prevent such incidents from recurring, the statement added.