THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The police have booked a KSRTC driver, after Thiruvananthapuram Mayor Arya Rajendran and her husband, Balussery MLA Sachin Dev, had a heated exchange with him after he allegedly did not give way to couple’s car.
The Cantonment police registered a case of sexual harassment against driver L H Yedu of the KSRTC’s Central depot on Arya’s complaint. However, they did not register a case on Yedu’s complaint alleging that Arya and other car passengers obstructed the trip and misbehaved with him.
The incident took place around 10pm on Saturday, while both vehicles were heading towards Palayam. The road rage incident began at Pattom. Yedu alleged that the car’s driver tried to overtake the bus from the left, which he did not allow, and that led to the altercation.
“I was not aware about the status of the car passengers. I reacted when one of them abused me. The MLA and mayor threatened me, saying they will show me my place for hurting their ego. It was they who kept honking and tried to overtake from the left. They forced open my cabin door,” he said.
The police slapped sexual harassment charges (IPC Section 354A) against Yedu after it was alleged that he made indecent gestures at Arya. He was released on Sunday.
Arya maintained that it was the driver’s indecent gestures that escalated the issue, not that the bus did not give way to their vehicle. She also stressed that her authority was not misused.
Meanwhile, a video of the altercation showed the car parked on a zebra crossing in front of the bus. It has sparked a row, with a section of KSRTC employees saying Arya and Sachin could have registered a formal complaint instead of engaging in a public showdown.
Meanwhile, a KSRTC official said staffers were being given “correctional training”. “It is a tough task to change their attitude towards smaller vehicles on the road,” he added.