<p>Four people have been arrested for allegedly assaulting a conductor of the state-owned <a href="https://www.mid-day.com/mumbai/mumbai-news/article/msrtc-losing-rs-3-crore-per-day-due-to-discounts-to-women-elderly-says-maharashtra-transport-minister-pratap-sarnaik-23487927" target="_blank" rel="none noopener"><strong>transport</strong></a> corporation bus for not replying to a passenger in Marathi, police said on Saturday.</p>
<p>The incident occurred on Friday on the outskirts of the district headquarters town of Belagavi bordering Maharashtra, they said.</p>
<p>The conductor has also been booked under the POCSO Act, police said.</p>
<p>With tears in his eyes, the 51-year-old conductor Mahadevappa Mallappa Hukkeri on Friday told reporters that a girl who boarded the bus with her male friend at Sulebhavi village spoke in Marathi. Hukkeri said he told her that he did not know Marathi and asked her to speak in Kannada.</p>
<p>"When I said I don't know Marathi, the girl abused me saying that I must learn Marathi. Suddenly a large number of people gathered and assaulted me on my head and all over the body," the conductor said.</p>
<p>The injured bus conductor was admitted to the Belagavi Institute of Medical Sciences, police said adding he got minor injuries and is out of danger.</p>
<p>"A case was registered and we have arrested four people in connection with the assault on the conductor and based on a counter complaint lodged by the girl, who is 14-year-old, a case was registered against the conductor under Protection Of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act for allegedly using derogatory remarks against her," a senior police officer said.</p>
<p>"No arrest has been made yet in connection with the POCSO Act case. We need to investigate, and look into the allegations and accordingly further action will be taken," he said.</p>
<p>Belagavi has a substantial Marathi-speaking population and a section among them have been demanding the merger of the district with <a href="https://www.mid-day.com/mumbai/mumbai-news/article/maharashtra-bus-services-from-maharashtra-to-karnataka-suspended-following-attack-on-driver-23488618" target="_blank" rel="none noopener"><strong>Maharashtra</strong></a>, which is stoutly opposed by the state as well as the Kannada populace residing there.</p>
<p><span style="font-size: x-small;"><em>This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever</em></span></p><p>
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Four people have been arrested for allegedly assaulting a conductor of the state-owned transport corporation bus for not replying to a passenger in Marathi

Karnataka: Four arrested for assaulting bus conductor for not speaking in Marathi in Belagavi

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The incident occurred on Friday on the outskirts of the district headquarters town of Belagavi bordering Maharashtra, an official said

Four arrested for assaulting bus conductor for not speaking in Marathi in Belagavi

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