BENGALURU: In a curious twist to the case where a BMTC bus conductor was burnt alive in a parked pus at the Lingadheeranahalli bus station, it has now come to light that before retiring for the day, he had headed to a petrol bunk nearby, bought seven litres of fuel and had made a UPI payment, giving rise to suspicion that he may have committed suicide. However, the police are probling all angles.
Initial investigation by the Byadarahalli police has revealed that the conductor Muthaiah had sent the driver Prakash to sleep inside and ventured out of the depot after the bus had halted. Later on, he got out of the bus, went to a petrol bunk and purchased two litres of petrol and five litres of diesel for which he made a payment of Rs 700 through UPI. This came to light after the police went through his phone. The police have also collected information from the petrol bunk staff and collected CCTV footage.
Investigation also showed that all the doors and windows of the bus were closed shut and some of the windows had broken due to the intense heat generated by the fire inside. However, the police are waiting for the FSL report on the cause of the fire and are collecting all technical and scientific evidence. It is said that Muthaiah had got into financial difficulties and the police are also questioning people connected with the issue.