Cauvery crisis: 45 KPN travels buses set on fire in Bengaluru

The buses have been targeted because KPN travels is owned by a Tamilian based out of Salem.

news Cauvery Protests

Although the Bengaluru police and the Karnataka government have been claiming through the day that the tensions over the Cauvery dispute are well under control, the situation seems to have escalated through the day.

45 buses belonging to private bus operator KPN travels were torched in Bengaluru. The buses that were stationed at the depot in Byataranyapura police station limits in Nayandahalli were torched by miscreants.

KPN, a leading transport operator in the South, seems to have been targeted as the company is owned by a Tamilian based out of Salem. The company owned by K Natarajan operates hundreds of buses that ply through Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Puducherry.

Two SRS Travels buses have also reportedly been set on fire by miscreants in New Timber Layout. TV 9 Kannada reported that the vandals told the bus drivers to alight before setting fire to the buses.

C Basavanna, Fire Officer, Bengaluru East, said that four jala vahana (fire tenders) reached the spot at Nayandahalli slightly after 7pm. In 10 minutes, they doused the fire of around ten buses. Another 20 buses are still aflame and the fire tenders are working to extinguish them. A total of 52 buses are parked at the depot.

At least 30 buses of a private transport operator from TN torched by an angry mob at its depot at Nayandahalli. pic.twitter.com/lA8DUles9c — Pinky Rajpurohit (@Madrassan) September 12, 2016

Also read: Cauvery Dispute: SC modifies order, K'taka asked to release 12,000 cusecs till Sept 20

Siddaramaiah assures Jayalalithaa of safety of Tamils in K’taka, asks for reciprocation

Shops down shutters across Bengaluru for fear of violence, situation under control

Tempers flare over Cauvery, as attacks increase so do appeals for peace

