A passenger allegedly stabbed an auto driver late Monday night in Belagavi’s Malmaruti Nagar. The auto driver, Riyaz Tahasildar, 53, a resident of Uchagaon village, survived the attack. Police arrested the accused, Alim Pathan, within hours and brought him before the court on Tuesday.
Sources indicate that a minor argument between the driver and passenger escalated during the journey, leading to the passenger stabbing the driver in the neck with a knife before fleeing. Despite his injuries, Tahasildar managed to drive to the central bus station, where fellow auto drivers and police helped transport him to the BIMS district government hospital. He was later transferred to KLE Hospital for further treatment.
DCP Rohan Jagadish told reporters, “Upon receiving information, we promptly reached the scene and ensured the victim received medical attention. We tracked the suspect through CCTV footage, apprehended him, and recovered the weapon and the victim’s mobile phone, which the accused had taken. We are investigating the suspect’s mental state,” he added.
The Malmaruti police station has registered a case.
