BENGALURU: A 21-year-old woman travelling on a KSRTC bus from Bengaluru to Hassan fought back after the conductor sexually harassed her, videographed him on her mobile phone and slapped him before getting down midway at Bellur Cross on Saturday. Determined not to let him go scot-free, she along with her parents and friends grabbed him in Bengaluru the next day, gave him a sound thrashing and handed him over to police.
Subramanyanagar police arrested Esubu Ali Tallura, 33, who hails from Belagavi and is attached to the Puttur depot.
In her police complaint, the woman said she boarded the bus around 8.45am near Govardhan Theatre in Yeshwantpur and bought a ticket for Rs 194. "The conductor came and sat next to me when the bus was near Solur. Later, he started touching me inappropriately. He warned me that if I raise an alarm, I'll only be tainted. I recorded his acts on my mobile phone. When he learnt I'd recorded it, he snatched my phone and took my number. He asked me to keep in touch with him. Near Belur Cross, I got up and slapped him. I got down and took another bus to Hassan," she said.
A police officer said: "The woman forwarded the video to her parents and friends as soon as she got into another bus. She returned to Bengaluru on Sunday. She, her parents and friends waited near Yeshwantpur that night for the bus to return from Hassan. They caught the conductor and handed him over to police after thrashing him black and blue." Police said a counter-case of assault has been registered against the woman's friends.
KSRTC officials suspended Esubu on Monday.
"The video has been widely shared on social media. The bus (KA21F0002) was operating from Bengaluru to Puttur via Hassan-Dharmasthala on Saturday when the alleged incident took place. We have suspended him pending departmental inquiry," KSRTC said.
(The victim's identity has not been revealed to protect her privacy as per Supreme Court directives on cases related to sexual assault)
Subramanyanagar police arrested Esubu Ali Tallura, 33, who hails from Belagavi and is attached to the Puttur depot.
In her police complaint, the woman said she boarded the bus around 8.45am near Govardhan Theatre in Yeshwantpur and bought a ticket for Rs 194. "The conductor came and sat next to me when the bus was near Solur. Later, he started touching me inappropriately. He warned me that if I raise an alarm, I'll only be tainted. I recorded his acts on my mobile phone. When he learnt I'd recorded it, he snatched my phone and took my number. He asked me to keep in touch with him. Near Belur Cross, I got up and slapped him. I got down and took another bus to Hassan," she said.
A police officer said: "The woman forwarded the video to her parents and friends as soon as she got into another bus. She returned to Bengaluru on Sunday. She, her parents and friends waited near Yeshwantpur that night for the bus to return from Hassan. They caught the conductor and handed him over to police after thrashing him black and blue." Police said a counter-case of assault has been registered against the woman's friends.
KSRTC officials suspended Esubu on Monday.
"The video has been widely shared on social media. The bus (KA21F0002) was operating from Bengaluru to Puttur via Hassan-Dharmasthala on Saturday when the alleged incident took place. We have suspended him pending departmental inquiry," KSRTC said.
(The victim's identity has not been revealed to protect her privacy as per Supreme Court directives on cases related to sexual assault)
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