For Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation conductor, Nadaf, the sight of passengers hopping on to a moving bus was not an uncommon one. On Wednesday too, three men jumped aboard the moving bus he was manning and bought tickets for the last stop. However, Nadaf says, Wednesday’s events will forever be imprinted in his memory.
Suddenly, passengers at the back began screaming. When Nadaf rushed to investigate, he found a man lying in a pool of blood.
“He had been stabbed so badly. To think that this can happen in a moving bus … I am still terrified,” Nadaf said.
Nadaf and the bus driver immediately alerted the police control room and also called an ambulance. The deceased victim has been identified as Seetharam, a native of Andhra Pradesh’s Kadapa district.
Seetharam had allegedly come to Bengaluru fearing a section of his family that allegedly wanted him dead.
“Seetharam and some of his relatives are known petty thieves in Kadapa area. He had passed on information to the police in his hometown due to which some of his relatives were arrested. We suspect that this is the reason why his relatives sought revenge. Based on what the AP police told us, Seetharam and his immediate family had fled to Bengaluru some time ago as he had feared for his life,” an investigating officer said.
Based on eyewitness reports, the police say that Seetharam saw his relatives approaching him while he was walking on Hosur Road. He jumped on to the bus in a bid to save himself.
“First, when the bus was on Hosur Road, one man jumped in and bought a ticket. When the bus was nearing Konappana Agrahara bus stop, three more people got in. This was around 9.15-9.20 am. I did not pay attention to it then, but then the man who died, Seetharam, was sweating a lot. I noticed it, but I assumed he was running and therefore was sweating. I now think he was sweating because he was scared. I didn’t notice the three men who jumped in later. I just yelled at them,” said Nadaf.
Within minutes of Seetharam boarding the bus, three unidentified men allegedly climbed on to the moving bus. According to the Electronic City Police, Seetharam was stabbed to death within seconds and the attackers were able to get away due to the crowded bus.
When Seetharaman screamed for help, the air in the bus tensed palpably.
“I was in the front of the bus and these men were at the back. The next thing I know, one of the men began screaming saying, ‘Save me, help me.’ People were screaming and some of them were crying. When we stopped the bus, everyone just fled like their lives were at stake,” Nadaf said.
Although confused at first, Nadaf tried to pacify the passengers but was unsuccessful. It was only when all the passengers fled that he saw the body of a man lying in a pool of blood.
"People were screaming and yelling at me while getting down. I heard someone yelling, ‘They have machetes.’ These three men also got away while everyone else was rushing out," added Nadaf.
The police say they have identified the men who attacked Seetharaman.
“Due to the nature of the investigation, we are unable to disclose their names. We have launched a manhunt for them. We have also received information about their background from the AP police,” the investigating officer said.