Conductor booked for assaulting woman passenger

Sivaganga

The Ilayankudi police have booked a conductor of the Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation (TNSTC) bus on the charge of assaulting a woman passenger after a wordy duel after she failed to take ticket for the journey and ended up paying a fine of ₹ 200 on Friday.

After the video clips of the conductor M. Boominathan, 35 assaulting the woman passenger S. Lakshmi, 30, went viral in the social media, Superintendent of Police T. Jayachandran directed the Ilayankudi police to register a case, after which, the conductor was booked under sections 294 (b) (uttering obscene words), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt) and section 4 of Tamil Nadu Prohibition of Women Harassment Act.

On a counter complaint lodged by the conductor, the police registered a First Information Report (FIR) against the woman passenger under section 294 (b), 323, 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharging duty) and 506 (i) (criminal intimidation).

Police said the woman had boarded the bus, plying between Sivaganga and Ilayankudi (route no.5) at Satharasankottai with her three-year-old child and failed to take ticket. After she was caught ticketless during checking en route, she was allowed to travel as she promised to pay the fine amount of ₹ 200 on reaching Ilayankudi.

On reaching Ilayankudi, she had ‘pledged’ her mobile with the authorities and redeemed it after paying the fine amount, withdrawing cash from an ATM. The issue appeared to have settled after the bus left for Sivaganga. But when Lakshmi found that she had left the bag in the bus, she came to bus stand to get the bag and picked up a quarrel with the conductor.

They exchanged obscene words against each other and at one stage, the woman allegedly beat up the conductor with footwear. The enraged conductor slapped the woman as the child, in a grip of fear, wailed.

The whole incident took place in full public view. While Lakshmi is admitted to the Government Hospital in Ilayankudi, Boominathan was admitted to the Government Hospital in Sivaganga, police said.