Daijiworld News Network - Mangalore (GA) - pics - Sphoorti Ullal

Mangalore, Jan 12: Four persons were injured after some unidentified persons pelted stones at a bus carrying Ayyappa devotees at Uppala near Kasargod on Thursday January 11 night. 

The Aiyyappa devotees were on their way to Sabarimala from Shikaripura.  Stones were pelted at their bus soon after they crossed Kerala-Karnataka border.  It is said that there were four persons in the group which pelted stones.  However, none of them is yet identified.

Bus driver Karibasavaiah has sustained serious injuries in the incident and has been admitted to UMC Hospital here in the city.  Other than him, three more devotees too have sustained minor injuries and are admitted to hospital for treatment.

Meanwhile, the incident has put the Sabarimala pilgrimage of almost 50 devotees in limbo.  They had taken a week-long permission to travel in Kerala.  But now that the glasses of their bus have been smashed and driver has been seriously injured, they are in a dilemma, said one of them while speaking to this correspondent.