Both men were reportedly construction labourers who were working in Bengaluru and were presumably returning home. (Representational Image, Source: PTI)

In a shocking incident reported from Tamil Nadu, a passenger travelling on an intercity bus was allegedly left in the middle of the highway by the bus conductor because the person whom he was travelling died on the vehicle midway. Both the passenger as well as the dead body of the other person were left in the middle of nowhere. The man, whose name is not known, sat on the pavement on the side of the highway near the town of Krishnagiri, with his companion’s body next to him.

“When they found out that he had died, they just dropped us off at the side of the road and carried on,” he was quoted as saying by Zee News. The man went on to say that he waited at the highway hoping that if an ambulance passes by, he will try and take the body on it. “I don’t think another bus will take us,” he added.

Both men were reportedly construction labourers who were working in Bengaluru and were presumably returning home. They had boarded the state roadways bus from the IT city to Tiruvannamalai, in northeastern Tamil Nadu.

The man revealed that he had paid Rs 150 as fare and when they asked for a refund after the conductor had decided to offload them, he refused and the bus left.

The news comes at a time when the Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation (TNSTC) is facing a tough time. The trade unions had recently gone on a strike, demanding wage revision and pressing for a charter of other demands. Reportedly, out of the 650+ buses that operate on any given day, only 10 per cent plied on last Friday. Even though trade unions affiliated to the ruling party did not strike work, most of the buses were parked in all the nine depots in the district.