KOCHI: A KSRTC bus conductor attached to the Ernakulam depot has been suspended following a complaint that he allegedly humiliated a Plus-II student after she sought a zero ticket.
The action was initiated by KSRTC chairman and managing director P S Pramoj Shankar after a preliminary probe by the corporation vigilance wing found the employee guilty of serious misconduct. The Paravur police have also registered a case against the conductor.
The incident reportedly occurred on Saturday on the Priyadarshini bus, which operates on the Guruvayur-Ernakulam route. According to the complaint submitted by the student, she and four other Plus-II students boarded the bus from the Paravur KSRTC stand to travel to visit a friend. While four of the students were issued zero tickets under the Priyadarshini scheme, the conductor asked the complainant to pay the fare.
The student, who had recently had her head tonsured following a temple visit, told the police that the conductor questioned her gender and made derogatory remarks about her appearance in front of other passengers.