Girl locked up in bus, Facebook post leads to conductor's arrest

Bengaluru, Feb 26: The Yelahanka police have arrested a BMTC bus conductor after a woman studying in a private college posted on Facebook that she was locked up in the bus for around 45 minutes after her friend indulged in a scuffle with the conductor on Wednesday evening.

According to the police, the victim Bharathi (name changed) and her friend Ojhashree Singh, a native of Faridabad (Haryana), boarded a BMTC bus to go home after college. But things went awry, when the conductor Umashankar found Singh sitting next to his friend in the seat reserved for women and asked him to vacate it.

But Singh used profanities on Umashankar and they indulged in a heated argument. In the melee, Singh kicked Umashankar on his chest, who fell down. Singh got down from the bus and fled.

Umashankar asked the driver to take the bus to the Yelahanka police station. As they reached the station, the passengers in the bus got down and left, while the victim stayed in the bus.

The driver and the conductor thought that no one was there in the bus, locked the doors and went inside the police station. After a few minutes, they noticed that the public had gathered around the bus. They found that the girl was creating a ruckus.

The police made the conductor open the door, took the girl inside the station and asked her about the incident. She narrated her ordeal, but did not file a complaint and went home, said the police.

The Facebook post by the victim states that the conductor abused her' “friend as he was standing by my side in the middle (women's section) of the bus. They indulged in a scuffle and my friend pushed the conductor who fell down. Scared of the mob that gathered, my friend ran away.”

The bus was taken to the police station, they locked her up inside and even the police did not help her, the post said. Later, the police asked her about the incident, but discouraged her from filing an FIR, as it is a tedious process, she said. They asked her to compromise with the conductor.

“The victim posted her ordeal on Facebook, which garnered attention. The Yelahanka police were asked to act on the Facebook post. The police registered a FIR, as cognisable offence when disclosed through any medium or source warrants that a case be registered.

An FIR was registered under IPC Sections 331, 342 and 504 and the bus conductor was arrested. He has filed a counter complaint against Singh for manhandling him and a case was registered under IPC Section 324,” said Dr P?S Harsha, DCP (North-East).

When the officer was asked about the victim complaining about the police not acting and instead supporting the conductor, he said, “We have asked the victim to give a detailed statement. We will order an enquiry and action will be taken if any policeman is found guilty.”