The Wednesday evening attack on Janata Dal (Secular) leader and the Bangalore Rural Zilla Panchayat member left hundreds of commuters travelling on the National Highway 4 shocked out of their wits.
Hundreds of supporters of the slain politician, Binnamangala Krishnappa (50), took to the streets, indulging in arson and stoning, which left two buses burnt and more than 30 vehicles damaged.
Panicky passengers took to their heels as the mob turned on the buses.
“I had just reached the spot around 9.10 p.m. when the mob started pelting stones. The passengers ran helter-skelter,” said a KSRTC driver, who chose to remain anonymous.
Girl stranded
In the melee, a young girl with disability, who was travelling on the bus, found herself stranded. “In fact, she was caught in the stampede, and was eventually rescued by a concerned public. By the time, we brought her to a safe place, she had lost conscious,” he added.
Passengers and drivers of other vehicles such as lorries and cars too were also trapped. Terrified of a possible attack, the owners of at least three cars abandoned their vehicles and ran to safety with their families. Their vehicles bore the full brunt of the mob fury.
Police officials at the spot said they used their batons to scatter the mob.
Traffic on National Highway 4, which froze for over two hours, resumed only around 10.30 p.m.
