A horrifying incident of road rage and brutal violence unfolded on the streets of Belagavi on Tuesday night, leaving a 36-year-old truck driver fighting for his life. The attack, which occurred on Club Road, has once again cast a dark shadow over public safety in the city, highlighting a disturbing pattern of unchecked street violence that has plagued the area in recent months.
Minor Collision Escalates into a Vicious Assault
The victim, identified as Ayyaz Savanoor, a resident of Rukmini Nagar, was driving his loaded truck when it allegedly had a minor brush with a car near Hindalaga village on the city's outskirts. According to preliminary information from police sources, the truck did not stop after this slight contact. This prompted the occupants of the car to initiate a high-speed chase, pursuing the heavy vehicle through the city's roads.
A Cinema-Style Attack on Club Road
The pursuit reached its violent climax near the B Shankaranand statue area on Club Road. Here, the assailants managed to intercept the truck. What followed was a scene described by shaken eyewitnesses as reminiscent of a cinematic attack. Savanoor was forcibly dragged out of his vehicle.
In a frenzied and brutal assault, the attackers repeatedly stabbed him with a knife. The blows targeted multiple vital areas of his body, including his thigh, neck, back, and head. To compound the terror, stones were also hurled at the truck, shattering its glass panes and adding to the chaos of the scene.
Community Response and Police Investigation
Alerted by the victim's screams and the commotion, locals rushed to the spot and immediately informed the police. The critically injured driver was quickly shifted to a private hospital for emergency medical attention. He is currently undergoing treatment in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). Medical professionals have reported that while his condition remains serious, it is currently stable.
In response to the heinous crime, the Camp police station has registered a formal case of attempted murder. A search operation has been launched to apprehend the accused, who fled the scene immediately after the attack. Investigators are meticulously examining CCTV footage obtained from nearby establishments, hoping to identify the perpetrators and piece together the sequence of events.
A Troubling Pattern of Violence in Belagavi
This shocking attack is not an isolated event, raising profound concerns about law and order in Belagavi. Merely a month ago, the city witnessed a similarly brutal stabbing in the same general area. In that incident, the car driver of Mrinal Hebbalkar, son of women and child welfare minister Laxmi Hebbalkar, was attacked by four individuals. That assault was reportedly linked to the illegal laterite mining case, indicating different motives but the same alarming propensity for public violence.
The recurrence of such violent episodes on the city's roads points to a deeper issue of impunity and a failure to curb street crimes effectively. Residents and community leaders are increasingly vocal about their fears, demanding stronger police presence and more decisive action to ensure the safety of citizens. The attack on Ayyaz Savanoor, a working professional simply doing his job, underscores how everyday situations can escalate into life-threatening tragedies in the current climate.
