The Bantwal police has arrested a lorry driver and a cleaner on charges of attacking toll employees and damaging the tollbooth in Karnataka's Dakshina Kannada on Monday, December 29.
The arrested accused are identified as Bharat (23) - the lorry driver and Tejas (26) - the cleaner. Both of the accused allegedly refused to pay the toll and drove through the Brahamarakootlu toll plaza. The truck arrived from the wrong side of the road in the early hours of the day.
On-duty staff member files complaint
The complaint was filed by Prashanth B, a 25-year-old resident of Kasaragod. Prashanth was on duty when the incident took place. The accused refused to pay the toll and attacked the employees, Ankit and Rohit.
Meanwhile, they later illegally entered the toll area with two more people and attacked the two staff members again.
Case registered under different sections of the BNS
A case has been registered under Sections 329(3), 351(2), 352, 115(2), 118(1), 324(2) read with 3(5) of the BNS. Police have also begun the investigation.
Firing at toll plaza in Ludhiana
Meanwhile, another attack at a toll plaza took place earlier this month in Punjab's Ludhiana. An SUV driver allegedly opened fire on toll plaza employees after they asked him to pay the toll. The incident took place late night on December 7 when a group of youngsters in the SUV forcefully tried to drive through the VIP lane as they looked to avoid the toll payment. When the employees intervened and tried stopping them, the passengers of the SUV opened fire, the toll plaza manager Vipin Rai said.
The employees of the toll plaza ran for cover after the firing of gunshots. "Not only did the occupants open fire, but they also attacked the toll employees with bricks and stones," Rai said.
