Subrahmanya, DHNS: Dejected after an intense argument with a woman passenger over change, a KSRTC conductor jumped from a moving bus into the Kumaradhara river at Subrahmanya on Sunday. His body could not be retrieved till evening.

It all started when a woman passenger entered into an argument with the conductor, Devadas, 42, demanding change for Rs 500 she reportedly gave him for the ticket.

Devadas countered her, saying she gave him only Rs 100 and that he had paid back the balance. This led to an intense argument. The woman passenger got the bus stopped at Kadaba village, went to the police station and complained to the police. The police listened to both the parties, pacified them and sent them back.

The woman concluded the journey at Kadaba (her destination) while the bus, which was plying from Mangaluru to Subrahmanya, moved on. En route, as the bus reached the Kumaradhara bridge, the conductor blew the whistle and the vehicle slowed down. He jumped into the river even before the bus could come to a halt. Devotees at Snanaghatta (bathing ghat) tried to rescue him but their efforts went in vain and he was washed away.

Devadas, with 23 years of experience, was known for his integrity and had won the ‘Best Conductor’ award from the KSRTC last year, his colleagues said.

In a death note he reportedly wrote in his log sheet in the bus, Devadas said, “It’s better to die after losing (one’s) dignity.” He also wrote,“Nanna Sahodyogigalige Namaskaragalu’ (My last wishes to my colleagues).”