KOZHIKODE: A Kallada Travels bus driver was arrested on Thursday for allegedly misbehaving with a woman passenger. The accused is Johnson Joseph, 39, a native of Puthupally in Kottayam.
According to the complainant, a Tiruchirappalli-based woman, she boarded the bus from Kannur towards Kollam. When the bus reached Kakkanchery in Malappuram, around 1.30 am, second driver Joseph allegedly groped her. The woman cried out aloud, following which her co-passengers intervened.
They detained the accused and contacted the police. The bus was brought to Thenhipalam station. Johnson was charged under non-bailable section 354 (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty) of, the IPC.
Driver’s licence to be cancelled
T’Puram: Transport Minister A K Saseendran said on Thursday that instructions have been given to cancel the licence of bus driver Johnson Joseph.
“According to Joseph, he touched the woman’s hand to ask where she had to get down,” the police said. The accused was produced before the Judicial First Class Magistrate Court at Parappanangadi. Last month, the bus crew of Kallada Travels had brutally beaten up passengers in Kochi. Meanwhile, Transport Minister A K Saseendran said instructions have been given to cancel the licence of driver Johnson Joseph. The licence was issued from Kottayam. “The licence of the driver will be cancelled. The government is particular that such incidents should not be repeated. The government will continue with Operation Night Riders to crack down on such people,” said the minister.
Saseendran said that earlier too action had been taken against Kallada Travels. “The Motor Vehicles Department has also taken strict action against many other bus services that were found to have violated the prescribed norms. The state government would,
however, not be able to cancel their permit, as most of these bus services are registered in other states,” the minister said. Since the Kallada bus has been registered in Arunachal Pradesh, the state government cannot cancel its permit. Kallada Travels owns several buses. Of these, only a few are registered in Kerala. The state government is hence unable to initiate action against them in this regard. The minister said the KSRTC, would, meanwhile invite tenders to operate inter-state bus services.
Rights panel registers case
T’Puram: The Kerala State Women’s Commission has registered a suo motu case in the Kallada bus incident. Action has been initiated as per directives from chairperson M C Josephine. The commission has decided to summon the owner of the bus service to seek explanation from him.