Woman allegedly molested by conductor on board KSRTC bus
A KSRTC bus conductor allegedly sexually harassed a woman passenger in the wee hours of Tuesday near Kunigal.As the victim raised alarm, two other women passengers and others thrashed Johar Ahmed before handing him over to the police. The police booked him under section 354 of IPC and produced him before a court which remanded him in judicial custody.
The victim, a home nurse, residing at Bannerghatta in Bengaluru, had boarded the bus from Hassan. She sat on a seat next to the one reserved for the conductor as it was vacant. The accused after switching off lights sat next to her and allegedly made advances despite she kept on resisting. She screamed for help when the bus reached Hirisave town. Fellow passengers beat him up and got the bus diverted to the police station in Kunigal.
Kunigal depot manager Srinivasa Murthy told Express that he will file a detailed report to the divisional commissioner in Hassan as the conductor is attached to the Holenarasipura depot. Meanwhile, divisional security inspector (DSI) Raghu visited Kunigal and took stock of the things. He said higher authorities will suspend him from the service with immediate effect. Horrified by the incident, the victim said she was grateful to co-passengers especially the two women who came to her rescue. “I am not a big person to comment on the safety of women passengers in buses,” she replied to a question.
