The incident of a few persons physically attacking and injuring a driver of the AP State Road Transport Corporation (APSRTC) bus at Kavali on Thursday has sparked public furore.
A video showing the driver being thrashed up by a group of persons has gone viral. Strongly condemning the attack on RTC driver B.R. Singh, while he was driving Bengaluru-to-Vijayawada super luxury bus (AP 16Z 0702), leaders of Andhra Pradesh Public Transport Department (APPTD- erstwhile APSRTC) said the Department employees would stage protests in all the 129 RTC depots across the State on Sunday (October 29) and attend their duties wearing black badges.
In a statement on Saturday (October 28), the AP PTD Employees Association president P. Damodara Rao and general secretary G.V. Narasaiah demanded immediate arrest and stringent punishment to the persons responsible for the attack on the driver while he was on duty.
‘For blowing horn’
They said the driver was targeted for blowing horn as the car in front of his vehicle did not make way for the bus to pass. The persons inside the car came out and picked up an altercation with the driver but the traffic police dispersed them after chiding them for their high-handed behaviour. But the inmates of the car came back with more people in two cars, followed the RTC bus and forced the driver to bring the vehicle to a halt by blocking his way. They dragged Mr. Singh out of his seat and beat him up black and blue, said the association leaders.
The driver Ram Singh, with severe injuries, was admitted to the Government hospital at Kavali. The spare bus driver Mr. Srinivasa Rao, tried to intervene but could not stop the attack.
Kavali Rural police registered a case against one Sudhir and his aides under various IPC sections, including attempt to murder. Special teams were formed to nab the offenders, said Kavali Deputy Superintendent of Police M. Venkataramana.
The association leaders said they would make a representation to the DGP and the APSRTC Managing Director on Monday, seeking tough punishment to the assaulters.
It may be recalled that the Vice-Chairman and Managing Director of the APSRTC Ch. Dwaraka Tirumala Rao reacted sharply to the incident on Friday. He said such incidents targeting RTC bus crew would not be tolerated and lodged formal complaints with the police station concerned.
Leaders of the Andhra Pradesh JAC Amaravati have also deplored the incident and have sought immediate and stringent action against those responsible for it.
The JAC Chairman Bopparaju Venkatswarlu, associate chairman G. V. Phani Perraju and treasurer V. V. Muralikrishna Naidu on Saturday said such incidents targeting employees of the RTC who were in public service was unfortunate.
Mr. Venkateswarlu demanded that the government intervene and ensure immediate arrest of the perpetrators to instil confidence among the employees of the RTC.
‘YSRCP goons’
Meanwhile, the opposition TDP State unit spokesman Anam Venkataramana Reddy alleged that the ruling YSRCP
