Andhra Pradesh cop fires in city bus after footboard quarrel
The fight broke out when two television journalists asked him to make way for them to board and he refused.
Hyderabad: In a shocking incident, a constable with the Andhra Pradesh Intelligence Security Wing pulled out his 9 mm pistol and fired a bullet in an TSRTC bus that had 70 passengers after getting into a quarrel with some passengers.
The terrifying incident occurred at Nagarjuna Circle on Thursday, when V. Srinivasulu, who is posted at NTR Bhavan as a member of Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu’s team, had a skirmish with two passengers and fired a bullet. No one was injured.
Mr Srinivasulu, the alleged accused, in his safari-uniform boarded an overcrowded bus on the Secunderabad-Filmnagar route at Panjagutta to travel to NTR Bhavan.
The constable was reportedly foot-boarding at the rear of the bus without a ticket up to the bus stop at TV9 office, Banjara Hills, Road no. 3. The fight broke out when two television journalists asked him to make way for them to board and he refused.
The two however squeezed into the bus but commented on his behaviour. “Don’t you have common sense,” was their remark which caused the constable to pull the trigger.
An eyewitness told this newspaper: “The cop got angry. Do you know who I am,” he asked the passenger. The argument led to him opening fire; thankfully he shot vertically upwards and the bullet pierced the aluminium roof of the bus.
Cop in custody after chase
The sound echoed and passengers were frightened, thinking there was an attack on the bus. Over half a dozen tried to pull the weapon from his hand but he refused to give it. The bus driver jammed the brakes and stopped the bus.
According to sources, if the gun had been pointed at the passengers, it would have claimed two lives.
The constable ran off and the passengers informed the Panjagutta police, while the bus driver continued on his journey and informed the authorities after reaching the bus depot.
Based on the complaint from M. Bhupathi, the bus conductor, the Panjagutta police registered a case under section 307 of the IPC, 27 of the Arms Act, section 3 of the PDPP Act (attempt to murder, destruction of public property and Arms Act). Srinivasulu was reportedly taken into custody after hours of chasing him at Kukatpally.
Meanwhile, AP DGP R.P. Thakur said, “Firing in crowded places is a crime. There is no work pressure in the police department.”