Bangalore, Mar 17 (DHNS) : A 23-year-old woman passenger, who jumped out of a BMTC bus after the driver allegedly misbehaved with her, sustained injuries in the early hours of Friday. 

She was rushed to Kempegowda Institute of Medical Sciences (KIMS) for treatment and was discharged. The police swung into action and arrested the driver, Siddarth, within two hours of the incident. Siddarth was produced before the court and remanded in judicial custody, police said.

“The victim was unwilling to lodge a complaint. However, considering the sensitivity of the incident, the police voluntarily booked Siddarth under IPC Sections 354 (assault or criminal force to woman with intent), 307 (attempt to murder), 341 (wrongful restraint), 342 (wrongful confinement) and arrested him,” said a senior police officer.
Following the incident, Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy ordered for the suspension of Puttaraju (traffic inspector BMTC depot-9, Peenya), Parameshwaraiah (traffic controller, Kempegowda Bus Stand-KBS) and Siddarth.

Puttaraju erred by operating the single crew bus (driver-cum-conductor bus) without conductor at that hour, while Parameshwaraiah violated the norms by permitting the single crew bus on the KBS-Banashankari-Kumaraswamy Layout-KBS route to operate. Siddarth misbehaved with a woman passenger. Hence, they were all suspended, BMTC Managing Director Anjum Parwez told Deccan Herald.

The victim hails from Uttar Pradesh and was working with a private firm here. She had quit the job a year ago and was preparing for bank examinations.

Her parents were against lodging a complaint, claiming that they were poor and such a step would harm their daughter’s future, police said.

The victim clarified that Siddarth did not attempt to molest her. She and her parents told the police that the reports claiming that the driver attempted to rape her were totally “false and baseless.” She admitted that she jumped out of the bus as Siddarth misbehaved with her, the officer said.

On Thursday night, Siddarth parked the Pushpak bus at KBS once done with his duty. The scheduled bus for KBS-BSK-KS Layout-KBS did not arrive. Puttaraju directed Siddarth to go on an additional trip on the route.

It was around 12.30 am, when around 40 passengers got into the bus. The victim was among them. All passengers got down at BSK, except the victim. She told Siddarth that her destination was Deve Gowda petrol bunk in Padmanabhanagar.

He directed her to alight as it was the final destination. He told her that he would return to KBS, police said. The situation took a different turn as he did not know Hindi and she did not understand Kannada. There was misinterpretation of words by both of them. There was an exchange of words, even as Siddarth drove back towards KBS, police said.

When the bus approached Bamboo Bazaar, she tried to jump out of the window. On seeing this, Siddarth tried to prevent her, by holding her hands. She bit his hands and jumped out. A frightened Siddarth sped towards KBS, police said.

A few local residents alerted the police, who rushed to the spot and shifted her to KIMS.