TNSTC driver booked for assaulting branch manager, employees stage dharna

June 21, 2022 07:11 pm | Updated 07:11 pm IST - TIRUCHI

Police have registered a case against a driver of the Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation (TNSTC) for allegedly abusing and assaulting the Branch Manager of TNSTC Depot at Thuvarankurichi with footwear on Monday. 

The case against the driver S. Balaji was registered under IPC sections 294 (b) (uttering any obscene words, in or near any public place), 332 (voluntarily causing hurt to deter public servant from his duty) and 355 (assault or criminal force with intent to dishonour person) on a complaint lodged by the Branch Manager P. Mahendran (56). The driver and the branch manager were working at the TNSTC depot in Thuvarankurichi.

Police sources said there had been differences between the driver and the branch manager regarding duty allotment for the former. The branch manager was working at the TNSTC depot on Monday morning when the driver came to the place and allegedly abused him. The driver allegedly assaulted the branch manager with footwear. The manager underwent treatment as out-patient at the Government Hospital in Thuvarankurichi later. 

Meanwhile, a group of TNSTC drivers and conductors affiliated to the AITUC, CITU and Labour Progressive Front staged a dharna for over three hours inside the depot at Thuvarankurichi expressing their ire over the behaviour of the branch manager. TNSTC buses were not operated from the depot from the early hours owing to the sudden stir by the employees.

The contention of the protesting employees was that the branch manager was allegedly insisting them to perform overtime compulsorily and was not giving them leave whenever they had asked for causing mental agony to them, said police sources. Higher officials of the TNSTC came to the spot and held talks with the protesting employees who wanted the transfer of the branch manager besides the withdrawal of the case against the TNSTC driver Balaji. They also demanded that action should not be taken against them for resorting to dharna. Following the talks, the protesting employees withdrew their stir and dispersed.

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