A gang of four unidentified men intercepted a North West Road Transport Corporation (NWRTC) bus and stoned its driver to death at Kavatagi in Jamkhandi taluk of Bagalkot district on Friday.
The deceased has been identified as Nabi Rasool Avati. It is said he had reported for duty following the advice of his higher authorities. The state road transport corporation employees have been on a strike for the past 10 days demanding salary as per 6th pay commission recommendation.
Rasool was driving the bus on Jamakhandi-Vijayapura Road when the incident occurred. As soon as the bus came near Kavatagi, four bike-borne unidentified men, who came from behind, intercepted the bus and attacked the driver with stones. Rasool sustained grievous head injuries and lost consciousness. He died on the way to a hospital in Jamkhandi.
Rasool was a resident of Jamkhandi and he is survived by wife and four children. He had one more year of service.
His colleague, who wished to be unnamed said that Rasool was felicitated with Chief Minister’s Gold Medal for not causing an accident in his 37 years of service. Rasool’s wife Sairabanu said that the officials of the NWRTC had come to their house and threatened to dismiss him from service if he did not report for duty.