Kochi: Three more employees of an inter-state private bus heading to Bengaluru from Thiruvananthapuram have been arrested on charges of assaulting passengers on Saturday night. Totally, seven crew of the bus named ‘Suresh Kallada’ have been booked over the incident which has unleashed a wave of anger against the transporter. A local court has remanded them in custody.
Three more are still at large, said police.
A case was initially registered after one of the assaulted passengers, Ajayaghosh, contacted the police over phone, said Maradu SI Baiju P Babu. Immediately after the incident on Saturday night, the police had arrested two bus employees.
The bus hands who were arrested on Tuesday are Girilal, a native of Manrothuruth in Kollam; Kumar, a native of Tiruchirappally in Tamil Nadu; and Vishnu, who is from Mannancheri in Alappuzha.
Jithin (25) from Kodakara, Thrissur; Jayesh (29) from Pallikkal,Thiruvananthapuram; Rajesh (26) from Karunagappally; and Anwaruddin (38) from Karaikal in Puducherry were arrested on Monday.
It is said attempt to murder and robbery could be charged against all the accused. They were caught after analyzing CCTV tapes. One of them was let off after it was found he played no role in the incident.
Passengers Ajayaghosh, Sachin and Ashkar were beaten up on Saturday night for questioning the delay in arranging an alternate vehicle after the bus they boarded broke down near Karuvatta, Haripad, in Alappuzha district. After the bus reached Vyttila in Kochi around 4am on Sunday, some bus employees from its Ernakulam base barged in and started thrashing the passengers who raised their voices in Haripad. The youth were later dragged out of the bus as they tried to retaliate. The bus continued on its Bangalore trip without them.
The incident came to light after Jacob Philip, another passenger who was witness to the scuffle on board, recorded it on his phone and shared it online.
Ajayaghosh is admitted at a hospital in Ernakulam, while the other two are at an Erode hospital.
Maradu Police registered their statements on Tuesday. Stewart Keeler, the investigation officer and Assistant Commissioner, will take statements from Sachin and Ashkar today.
Ajayaghosh has identified all seven attackers. Ajayaghosh denied allegations that he beat up a bus employee at Haripad.
Sachin and Ashkar have been requested to provide a detailed written account of the incident, DGP Loknath Behera posted on his Facebook page.
"Spoke with Sachin over phone. We will help him retrieve his bag containing laptop, hall ticket and project report," the DGP added.
The police have retrieved a bag and two mobile phones belonging to the victims.
Vigil on inter-state buses
The transport department will now keep a vigil on inter-state private bus services under a project named ‘Operation Night Riders’. Every RT office will depute a three-member squad headed by a Motor Vehicle Inspector. The squad will check speed-limit violations and transportation of goods other than passengers’ personal luggage.
