BMTC bus conductor bought fuel before burning to death

NT Correspondent

Bengaluru: Investigation into the death of a 43-year-old Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) bus conductor has taken a new twist, hinting that the incident may have been possibly been a case of suicide.

Muthaiah Swamy, 43, a native of Bellari district, was charred to death when the bus in which he was sleeping, caught fire during the early hours of March 10 in the Lingadheeranahalli Bus Station premises in Bengaluru. While the cause of the fire and death still remains a mystery, investigative officers have said that CCTV footage has hinted that the conductor may have committed suicide by setting himself ablaze.

According to police sources, it has been found that Swamy purchased fuel in a container after paying Rs 700 at a petrol pump through an UPI app. Police have collected the receipt from the staff of the petrol station for further investigation.

Earlier, it was revealed that he had told the driver, Prakash, to sleep inside the dorm while volunteering to sleep in the bus. Police said that investigation is still underway as they are yet to receive the FSL and post-mortem report to ascertain the exact cause of the death