KOZHIKODE: A Kozhikode-based PhD scholar, who was allegedly molested on a KSRTC bus from Thiruvananthapuram to Kozhikode on Saturday night, was more hurt by the apathetic response of the conductor who didn't bother to come to her rescue despite her raising the alarm.
The woman said no one in the bus, including the conductor, responded even after she questioned the man who misbehaved with her. Meanwhile, Transport Minister Antony Raju has strongly criticised the conductor and said once the young woman lodges the complaint against the latter, it would be investigated.
The Kozhikode native was touched inappropriately by the fellow passenger from behind when the bus reached Thrissur.
According to her post on social media, she immediately raised her voice and the man withdrew and sat far from her. She said she was more hurt by the inhumane response from the part of the bus conductor than the abuser.
Though she had sought help from the conductor at the time, the latter blamed her when she asked why he hadn't reached when she shouted at the abuser. "The bus driver stopped when he spotted the highway police on the main road," the girl said.
"Even after the police officer reprimanded the conductor for his inhumane approach to me, he was not ready to apologise or say something good to me," she further said. She took to Facebook as she was unable to recover from the trauma caused by both the abuser and the conductor.
She added that a complaint would be lodged against the conductor with the KSRTC and the police. She said the co-passengers also did not react to the incident. Meanwhile, minister Antony Raju criticised the irresponsible response of the conductor.
He tried to contact her on the phone as soon as he got the information. The KSRTC MD has been asked to submit a detailed report on the incident. "The Incident will be taken seriously and necessary steps taken to prevent such incidents in future," he said.