Karnataka: Bus Conductor-Passenger Altercation Has No Linguistic Undertone
The family of the girl who filed a POCSO case against an NWKRTC bus conductor in Belagavi has withdrawn the complaint, stating that the issue was misrepresented as a Kannada-Marathi conflict.
Belagavi: The family of the girl who recently filed a POCSO case against an NWKRTC bus driver in Belagavi has decided to withdraw the complaint, stating that the incident had been misrepresented as a Kannada-Marathi conflict.
An altercation between a bus conductor and a passenger in Balekundri village in Belagavi on Friday sparked legal action and counter-legal action. While the conductor had filed a case of assault by a mob, the passenger had filed a case under the POCSO act against the conductor.
In a video statement, a woman identifying herself as the girl’s mother clarified that the altercation in the bus was purely over a ticket issue and had no linguistic or regional undertones.
"My son and daughter who had been to the doctor were traveling on the bus when a dispute arose over the ticket. However, it was falsely portrayed as a Kannada vs. Marathi issue," she said.
"We are proud Kannadigas who speak Marathi, and we do not believe in any divide between the two. Unfortunately, the matter has been unnecessarily made into controversy, creating tension between Karnataka and Maharashtra. We are deeply distressed by this," she added.
She further announced that the family had decided to withdraw the case voluntarily and urged people to let the issue rest. "We are withdrawing the case of our own free will, and there is no pressure from anyone," she asserted.
Meanwhile, members of the Karnataka Rakshana Vedike (KRV) staged a protest against what they termed as the "intimidation by Marathi miscreants."
"If any Marathi miscreants attack Kannadigas in Belagavi, we know how to respond. However, to uphold law and order, we are exercising restraint," KRV president Narayana Gowda told reporters.
He also criticized the silence of political leaders and urged authorities to invoke the Goonda Act against the accused. Praveen Shetty, president of the KRV (Praveen Shetty faction), condemned the booking of the NWKRTC bus conductor under the POCSO Act, calling it unjust.
