Case against bus driver

VADODARA, Nov 16: The Gorwa police on Friday booked a case against the driver of a luxury bus (GJQ-9664) for allegedly abducting and beating up autorickshaw driver Gopilal Soni.

According to the police, Soni and some other auto drivers had objected to the bus driver carrying illegally passengers from Sahyog bus stop in Gorwa on Friday morning. Arguments lead to heated exchanges and then Soni got into the bus, while continuously shouting at the bus driver. While other auto drivers were looking on, the driver sped off taking Soni in the bus. He left Soni at Bapu-ki-Dargah, about a km away, but only after bashing him up.

He was taken to the SSG Hospital by other auto drivers, who had followed the bus in their rickshaws. While his body bore injury marks, medical examination revealed that he had suffered internal injuries too, the police said.

Meanwhile, in a statement, joint secretary of Vadodara Rickshaw Drivers Congress Yusuf Ghanchi, condemning the incident, alleged that about 200 luxury buses were operating illegally in the city, thus affecting autorickshaw drivers adversely. In a memorandum submitted to the city traffic police, he demanded action against them.