The bus that was vandalised during an argument between the crew and local residents.

The Ponnai police on Thursday arrested a 34-year-old software engineer for damaging the windshield of a government bus in Keeraisathu village near Katpadi here.

The police said K. Rajesh of Keeraisathu village, employed at a software firm in Chennai, was in his native place for Pongal.

Initial inquiry revealed that the crew of the bus, which operates between Keeraisathu and Arcot in Ranipet, slept at an anganwadi centre in the village after parking the vehicle near it. However, a group of residents, including Rajesh, objected to this, demanding that the crew sleep in the busand not at the anganwadi centre. An argument broke out between the two groups. In a fit of anger, Rajesh broke the vehicle’s windshield.

The bus crew alerted the police, who rushed to the spot. A case was registered under the Tamil Nadu Public Property (Prevention of Damage and Loss) Act, 1992.

Rajesh was arrested and later lodged at Central Prison in Vellore. A probe is under way.