Two women were allegedly harassed and molested by the conductor and driver of a BMTC Volvo bus on Wednesday. The driver and conductor have denied the charges. A co-passenger, whom the Express contacted, said the BMTC staffers did not misbehave with the women.
Neetu (name changed), 25, and her sister Tara (name changed), 23, hail from Bhutan and work for a private firm in Marathalli. While Tara has been living in the city for one-and-a-half years, Neetu moved in recently.
On Wednesday, they took the BMTC Volvo bus (500D) on the Ring Road between Hebbal and Marathalli. According to them, the conductor “flared up” after Neetu refused to buy a pass which she said she had not asked for. “I had a `100 note and asked for two tickets. He thought I needed a pass and signed one even without asking me. I refused to take it and then he gave me two tickets of `45 each and the change,” said Neetu.
“A few minutes later, the conductor began to yell at us. He kept repeating the word “pass” while shouting something in Kannada pointing at us. His tone was very bad and insulting. We asked him why he was shouting at us. When I was getting the BMTC phone number to register a complaint, the conductor asked the driver to pull over. Then he demanded that we alight,” said Neetu.
“We refused to alight without getting back our money since we had not reached our destination,” said Tara.
The other passengers began to disperse and when the sisters attempted to get off the bus, the two men blocked their way, the women alleged. Said Neetu, “We somehow evaded them and got into an auto. All we wanted was to reach office. But the conductor came to the auto and held his fist to my face and dragged my sister out of the auto.”
“The conductor dragged us back into the bus, groped and molested me while the driver was behind the wheel,’’ a teary-eyed Tara said. She said there were people on the bus at that time. Neetu said she had to stand before the bus to stop it. She said that after Tara managed to get off the bus, they took another auto and left the scene.
Neetu said she dialled 100 but the policeman just made enquiries and hung up. When contacted, the control room said they had received no such call. The women also claimed that two traffic policemen at Tin Factory stop did not come to their aid.
Muthaiah, a co-passenger with whom Express spoke to, said, “I was in the bus from the point these women got in till they were forced out. They abused the driver, conductor and co-passengers who asked them to calm down,’’ said.