Ama Bus staff ‘assaulted’ in Cuttack, 2 arrested; CRUT condemns attack

In a disturbing pattern of growing violence within the state’s public transport system, a bus captain of the Capital Region Urban Transport’s (CRUT) Ama Bus service was injured in an alleged unprovoked assault by three individuals on Saturday in the Mahanadi Vihar area of Cuttack.

The Capital Region Urban Transport (CRUT) condemned the incident in a post on X. The victim, Satyaprakash Swain, suffered a bloodied face and was reportedly hospitalised after being attacked while on duty.

Two Arrested, FIR Registered

According to CRUT, two of the three assailants have been arrested, and an FIR has been filed. However, the severity of Swain’s injuries, widely circulated on social media, has intensified public outcry.

Online users are demanding stringent action under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), with some alleging the act amounts to attempted murder.

Notably, this is not the first time CRUT staff have faced violence. In May, the Ama Bus crew staged a protest after multiple staff were attacked by miscreants.

Passenger Assault by Ama Bus Crew

Ironically, just two days prior to Swain’s assault, CRUT found itself in another controversy when a video of bus staff thrashing a passenger on Route 19 went viral on social media.

The incident, which unfolded near the Pahala bus stop in Bhubaneswar, showed a man being forcibly pushed off the bus. A female co-passenger who objected was reportedly harassed as well.

CRUT responded by suspending both the bus captain and guide, citing an ongoing investigation and review of onboard CCTV footage. “The matter is being handled with utmost seriousness,” the authority stated in a press note.

The repeated incidents have sparked public concern, but no formal comments have been received from the authorities so far.