The Upparpet police lathicharged the mob and arrested 46 persons in this connection. A KSRTC bus driver injured in the mob fury was said to be in a critical condition.

At 1.15 am, tension built up at the bus stand, with buses towards Hassan sector nowhere in sight. The weekend crowd, stranded at the bus station, demanded that the Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation authorities arrange for additional buses towards Hassan sector.

At platform five (Shimoga sector), a 10-member armed gang smashed a coin-telephone booth and ransacked the box of loose change, witnesses told police. Samsuddin from Andhra Pradesh, who was on his way to Kerala, said he saw about six to seven members armed with sticks, iron rods and chains smash a booth.

The violence spread, continuing for more than two hours. An estimated 800-strong-mob looted shops,STD booths and stoned 43 buses. Even the waiting room, weighing machines, television sets, buses inside the depot and a police chowkie in the bus station were not spared by the mob.

City police cordoned off the entire bus station and brought the situation under control. The police also chased and lathicharged the crowd.

During the violence, besides CCTV sets, weighing machines, fruit stalls, 39 express service buses, 3 APSRTC buses and an ultra deluxe bus were damaged. According to KSRTC divisional controller S K Paramesh, the damage adds up to around Rs 2.5 lakh.