40-year-old BMC employee convicted for slapping bus driver

The sessions court has convicted a 40-year-old BMC employee attached to the fire brigade for assaulting a BEST bus driver in April 2014. The court, in its decision, has denied him the benefit of the Probation Act, stating that as a public servant, he should have been more careful.On April 30, 2014, Vitthal Avhad, the complainant, was driving a bus on route number 174 from Wadala to Borivali. The incident occurred when Amit Shinde, the accused, assaulted Avhad for not allowing him to overtake.

Finding Amit Shinde (40) guilty of using criminal force with intent to prevent or deter him from discharging his duties as public servant, the judge said, "The age of the accused and nature of the offence and circumstances in which it is committed is such that, it is not the case to extend benefit of probation in his favour." It was the prosecution's case that on the afternoon of April 30, 2014, the BEST driver was on his way from Borivli to Wadala, when the accused who was on a motorcycle was trying to overtake their bus. It was further alleged that at the time the accused stopped the motorcycle in front of the bus and abused the driver. When the driver protested he slapped him.