DTC bus marshal arrested for biting off conductor’s finger

He was rushed to AIIMS Trauma Centre, where medical examination confirmed that his left-hand middle finger was completely severed in the bite: Police

A 45-year-old Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) bus marshal, an ex-serviceman, was arrested for allegedly biting off the finger of a 34-year-old conductor following a quarrel over a bus route on September 28, police said on Friday.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (South West) Amit Goel said the accused was identified as Man Singh

Deputy Commissioner of Police (South West) Amit Goel said the accused was identified as Man Singh, and the victim as Jitendra Kumar Punia, a resident of Munirka.

Police said the control room received a call at 7.46pm reporting a quarrel involving a bus conductor. Punia told the police that bus marshal Singh had physically assaulted him and bitten off his finger while plying on bus route number 392.

“The cause of the quarrel was that the bus driver and marshal wanted to take the bus, which runs between Sector 62 Noida and Dhaula Kuan, via the Lajpat Nagar Ring Road flyover while conductor Jitendra insisted on taking the parallel road instead,” an officer said. “As a result, the bus got stuck in a jam, causing significant delay.”

After reaching Dhaula Kuan Terminal, a quarrel broke out between Singh and Punia, during which Singh allegedly bit off Punia’s left middle finger.

“He was rushed to AIIMS Trauma Centre, where medical examination confirmed that his left-hand middle finger was completely severed in the bite,” the officer said.

Police said the doctor’s report noted “amputation of left hand middle finger” and classified the injury as “grievous.” Accordingly, a case under Section 317(2) (voluntarily causing grievous hurt) BNS was registered, and Singh has been arrested.

Speaking to HT, Punia said Singh insisted they take a route not mapped by DTC. “If we had taken another route as suggested by Singh, we would have missed three bus stops, causing inconvenience to people waiting for this bus, and we would have been reported. Therefore, while on the route, I asked him to do his job as a marshal and let us decide what needed to be done,” he said.

After reaching the bus depot in Dhaula Kuan, Singh allegedly reignited the argument with Punia inside the bus while waiting to start again around 6.30pm. “After a few arguments and abuses, he slapped me. I retaliated too. In that moment, he bit nearly half my finger off, and the severed part fell on the floor of the bus. The fight continued outside until people intervened,” Punia said.

Punia added that the department is supporting him and has told him he will be given light duty until he recovers. “I am so shaken by the incident. I am left differently-abled for life because the doctors told me that they cannot reattach the severed part,” he said.

The DTC officials did not offer comment on the matter.