BMTC bus conductor assaults woman passenger after she slaps him, suspended

BENGALURU: A BMTC bus conductor assaulted a woman passenger after she slapped him over a dispute about buying a ticket in Siddapura police limits on Tuesday. The incident was recorded on a mobile phone camera and the conductor has since been suspended.

The woman passenger, identified as Tanzila Ismail, who was travelling from Billekahalli to Shivajinagar, sought a ticket and the conductor Honnappa promised to issue one. When the bus reached Dairy Circle, Tanzila again asked for the ticket to be issued when an argument ensued between her and the conductor.

The woman passenger slapped the conductor following which he assaulted her.

In the heat of the argument, the woman slapped the conductor following which he thrashed her. Following the incident, the conductor Honnappa, attached to Depot 34 at Jambu Savari Dinne in JP Nagar, was arrested by the Siddapura police.

While recording his statement with the police, Honnappa said the woman boarded the bus at Billekahalli and sought a ticket for free travel. The conductor said he asked her to produce her Aadhaar card, but she did not do so even after two bus stops had passed. He then told her that the bus would cross a stage and suggested that she buy a fare ticket if she did not have her Aadhaar card.

Angered by this, the woman raked up an argument and slapped the conductor following which he hit her back.