Prayagraj: B.tech student cuts bus conductor's neck over insult to Islam

In Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, a 20-year-old man assaulted a bus conductor with a cleaver following a disagreement over ticket fare, as reported by the police on Friday. The accused admitted to the crime in a video, claiming that he attacked the conductor in response to an alleged insult to Prophet Muhammad.

According to the Prayagraj Police, the incident took place on Friday morning when the accused, identified as Lareb Hashmi (20), indulged in a dispute with the bus conductor, Harikesh Vishwakarma (24), over ticket price. Hashmi, a first-year engineering student, used a cleaver to attack Vishwakarma, resulting in severe injuries to his neck and other parts of his body. Subsequently, Hashmi fled the bus, seeking refuge in a college campus to evade authorities.

Inside the college, Hashmi allegedly made a video and uploaded it on social media. In the purported video, Hashmi is seen confessing to the crime and accusing the bus conductor of indulging in blasphemy and insulting Prophet Muhammad, India Today reported.

Following the incident, Prayagraj Police apprehended Hashmi from inside the college where he had taken refuge. Subsequently, while a police team accompanied him to recover the weapon involved in the crime, Hashmi purportedly opened fire at the officers. In response, the police retaliated, causing him to sustain a bullet injury to his leg, leading to his arrest. Hashmi is currently undergoing treatment for the gunshot injury at a hospital.