Bus service between Maharashtra-Karnataka suspended

Bus services between Karnataka and Maharashtra have been affected due to attack on bus drivers from both sides amid the sudden flare-up of border row in Belagavi in the last two days. The decades-old dispute resurfaced on Friday when a bus driver and a conductor were beaten up for allegedly not speaking in Marathi at Marihal in Belagavi.Maharashtra Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik has suspended state transport bus services to Karnataka after an MSRTC driver was attacked in Chitradurga. The suspension will remain until the Karnataka government clarifies its stance on the issue.

Belagavi, Karnataka: Bus services from Karnataka to Maharashtra remain suspended following an incident in Belagavi. Authorities have restricted Karnataka buses from entering Maharashtra, operating only up to the border. Maharashtra buses are also returning from the Karnataka… pic.twitter.com/SaolHM4DwU

— IANS (@ians_india) February 23, 2025

The bus conductor stated in his police complaint that a girl asked for a ticket in Marathi. When he said he did not know Marathi and asked her to speak in Kannada, she and her male friend attacked him. Karnataka police have since arrested four individuals in connection with the separate incident involving the assault on the conductor in Belagavi.Additionally, a counter-case has been filed against the conductor, accusing him of misbehaving with the 14-year-old girl. “A case was registered on Friday night, and no arrests have been made yet under the POCSO Act. The investigation is ongoing, and we will gather statements from other passengers to determine the truth before taking further action,” a senior police official stated.
According to PTI, Belagavi Police Commissioner Iada Martin Marbaniang stated that four individuals had been arrested in connection with the assault on the conductor, while three police teams have been deployed to track down other suspects. “All those involved in the incident will be arrested soon,” he assured. As per reports, authorities in both states are now closely monitoring developments to prevent further unrest.

(State Correspondent)