A cluster bus driver has been arrested for allegedly thrashing a passenger with an iron rod after he requested that the vehicle be stopped as he had boarded the wrong bus.

The incident took place in south Delhi’s Lodhi Colony, said the police.

DCP (South) Vijay Kumar said that the bus driver, Ravi Kumar, was arrested within a few hours of the incident, which took place on Monday.

“The accused was taken for medical examination to ascertain whether he was drunk during the incident. The victim, Deepak Sharma, has suffered injuries and suffered a fracture in his hand,” said Mr Kumar.

Deepak is pursuing graduation from an open college and works at a restaurant in Khan Market.

In his police complaint, Deepak said he was waiting for a bus at Dayal Singh College bus stand at around 9.30 pm on July 15. A cluster bus arrived around 10.30 p.m.

“The display board on the bus said ‘break down’. Since the bus driver stopped at the stand and I was getting late, I boarded the bus thinking that I would board another one at the next stand,” said Mr. Sharma. He was the only passenger on the bus.

When the driver took a left turn from Sai Temple on Lodhi Road, Deepak asked the driver to stop as he needed to go straight. Instead of stopping, the driver allegedly started abusing Deepak.

“I managed to get off the bus, but the driver followed me with an iron rod and attacked me. He hit me on the head, leg, chest and hand,” said the victim.

A couple passing through the area intervened and informed the police. The driver managed to flee in the bus but the couple had noted down the registration number, which helped the police trace the accused.