Bus conductor stabbed for giving Rs 10 coin as change

A bus conductor, who returned the fare difference of Rs 10 as a coin instead of a note, was stabbed by an angry passenger in adjoining Navi Mumbai on Monday, police said.

Police said 34-year-old Tanmay Kavthekar was furious that the Navi Mumbai Municipal Transport (NMMT) conductor Rameshwar Ippar (25) rejected his request to give the Rs 10 "change" as a note and not as a coin.

Kavthekar, who stabbed the conductor in a moving NMMT bus, has been arrested, police said.

Senior Police Inspector of Panvel police station Ajaykumar Landge said the bus conductor is recuperating in a local hospital in Navi Mumbai.

The incident took place at 10.30 am on the Old Panvel highway when Kavthekar demanded Rs 10 note instead of the 10 rupees coin in return from the bus conductor, who refused to oblige, police said.

Kavthekar, who was going to Panvel from Koparkhairane. gave Rs 20 to the conductor for a ticket priced at Rs 10. Ippar gave him Rs 10 coin which Kavthekar refused to accept and insisted that he be given Rs 10 note.

He got angry after the conductor refused to oblige and stabbed him in a fit of rage, police said.

Kavthekar removed a knife from his pocket and slashed the conductor's neck and chest. He was then overpowered by fellow passengers and handed over to police.

Kavthekar is a resident of Sai Nagar at Panvel, police said, adding he has a criminal record and was earlier arrested for assaulting two bus conductors over the currency "change" issue.

He is also an alcoholic and has four assault cases registered against him in different police stations, police said.