Bus gets in motorist’s way, he snatches driver’s badge
The BEST driver said in his complaint that the accused also broke the windscreen of the bus as it was coming out of Mumbai Central depot.
A motorist, infuriated that a BEST bus coming out of a depot had blocked his way, climbed aboard, snatched the driver’s badge and sped away, leaving the driver to look on.
BEST officials said they’d conduct an inquiry into the incident, which occurred at 10:10pm on Thursday when Rohidas Ramnath Awadh was taking the bus out of Mumbai Central depot.
The driver and the motorist soon started hurling abuses at each other, and before long, the motorist climbed inside the bus and took away Awadh’s badge. The bus driver then lodged a complaint with the Nagpada police.
According to the statement recorded by the police, the motorist also broke the windshield of the bus before fleeing.
Said Awadh, “The man came and parked his vehicle before the bus and started to bang on the windshield. He was arguing as to why I did not allow him to go ahead. I simply asked him if I wasn’t allowing him to move ahead, how had he managed to come and park his vehicle before the bus?”
Police sub-inspector Jalinder Misal, who is investigating the case, said, “We are tracking the vehicle owner from the registration number we have. It wouldn’t be long before the motorist is found. What happened exactly will only come to light when we find him.”
The Nagpada police booked the unidentified motorist under sections 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of duty), 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace under) and 427 (mischief causing damage to the tune of Rs 50 and above) of the Indian Penal Code.
BEST general manager Jadish Patil said, “As per the Motor Vehicles Act, a BEST driver or conductor is not allowed to serve without a badge. But in this case, as the driver claims to lose his badge while on duty, and since a formal complaint has been made, we will have to do a review. Only then will we reach a decision.”
A motorist, infuriated that a BEST bus coming out of a depot had blocked his way, climbed aboard, snatched the driver’s badge and sped away, leaving the driver to look on.
BEST officials said they’d conduct an inquiry into the incident, which occurred at 10:10pm on Thursday when Rohidas Ramnath Awadh was taking the bus out of Mumbai Central depot.
The buses coming out of the depot and heading south — toward Tardeo — have to take a turn in a relatively narrow street, and thus end up blocking traffic headed in either direction. On the night of the incident, as the driver was taking a turn, he came in the motorist’s way. “The motorist asked the driver to let him pass but Awadh did not allow him. So the motorist brought his vehicle to a halt in front of the bus,” said an official from Nagpada police station.
The driver and the motorist soon started hurling abuses at each other, and before long, the motorist climbed inside the bus and took away Awadh’s badge. The bus driver then lodged a complaint with the Nagpada police.
According to the statement recorded by the police, the motorist also broke the windshield of the bus before fleeing.
Said Awadh, “The man came and parked his vehicle before the bus and started to bang on the windshield. He was arguing as to why I did not allow him to go ahead. I simply asked him if I wasn’t allowing him to move ahead, how had he managed to come and park his vehicle before the bus?”
Police sub-inspector Jalinder Misal, who is investigating the case, said, “We are tracking the vehicle owner from the registration number we have. It wouldn’t be long before the motorist is found. What happened exactly will only come to light when we find him.”
The Nagpada police booked the unidentified motorist under sections 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of duty), 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace under) and 427 (mischief causing damage to the tune of Rs 50 and above) of the Indian Penal Code.
BEST general manager Jadish Patil said, “As per the Motor Vehicles Act, a BEST driver or conductor is not allowed to serve without a badge. But in this case, as the driver claims to lose his badge while on duty, and since a formal complaint has been made, we will have to do a review. Only then will we reach a decision.”
