Even as the outrage over the gang-rape in New Delhi continues across the nation, two Bhutanese sisters were allegedly molested in a BMTC’s Volvo bus by the conductor on Wednesday as the rest of the passengers walked away indifferently.
The assurances given by Home and Transport Minister R Ashoka to women of the City in the light of the New Delhi incident have fallen flat within a couple of days. Though the two victims, in their mid-twenties, haven't filed a police complaint.
While one of the victims is a 25-year-old civil engineer working in the City for the past two months, her 26-year-old sister is a senior manager with a private company. They stay at Kammanahalli and work at Marathalli.
Around 7.50 am on Wednesday, the two took a BMTC bus (No 500D) from Kammanahalli. They got into an argument with the conductor over a trivial issue – that they first asked for a daily pass and after he issued a pass they opted for a ticket.
“The conductor was very abusive and was passing nasty comments at us in Kannada. Though we kept quiet, he continued with it. My sister objected to it and soon an argument ensued. The driver also joined the conductor and he stopped the bus near the Tin Factory stop. He told us that he would continue with the trip only if we get down. We were adamant that the driver had no right to drop us off as we had paid for the ticket.
The duo did not budge. Shockingly, the co-passengers were very indifferent and all of them got down from the bus and went their own way leaving only two of us in the bus,” the younger of the two sisters said.
The driver and conductor were enraged when the sisters tried to complain to the BMTC. When they tried to get down from the bus, the conductor-driver duo did not let them go. “As we alighted and got into an autorickshaw, the driver overtook the autorickshaw and blocked the road. The conductor came out and dragged my sister into the bus. He was also dragging me in.
Soon he closed the doors and the bus started moving even as my sister was in the bus. This was horrifying. I went in front of the bus and yelled at the driver to run me over. The duo chickened out, pushed my sister out and sped away. The conductor, as he dragged my sister into the bus, molested and groped her,” she said.
Probe ordered
BMTC Managing Director Anjum Parvez on Thursday ordered an enquiry into the incident.
The inquiry will be conducted by senior IPS officer Bijay Kumar Singh, who is BMTC’s Director (Security, Vigilance and Enforcement). The Corporation has also taken the accused driver and conductor off duty till the inquiry is completed.
“We wil initiate necessary action on completion of the probe, which is expected to be over in two days,” he said.
Sources in the BMTC said the driver and conductor have been identified as Mallesh and Jayaram respectively.