BATALA – A 28-year-old Jalandhar-based woman was allegedly molested by a bus driver, conductor and two others. The accused allegedly thrashed her husband when the latter opposed their move.
The woman along with her husband boarded a state roadways bus (PB 10 EM 4314) from Jalandhar last night. When it reached Kartarpur, 54 km from Batala, the accused reportedly started making vulgar gestures and passed lewd remarks at her.
When the woman’s husband intervened, the accused beat him up. The woman had to put up with more insult till the vehicle reached Mehta where two of the accused de-boarded the bus.
Eyewitnesses said the woman was harassed for about an hour and her husband was assaulted. The distraught husband managed to call up his relatives in Batala. Once the bus reached Sukha Singh Mehtab Singh Chowk in the city, the relatives beat up the accused.
In her complaint, the victim alleged that the accused were under the influence of liquor. “As the bus was crowded, my husband was sitting in another row. He came to my rescue but was beaten up and was threatened that he would be thrown out of the bus if he tried to intervene,” she said.
The accused – driver Dilbag Singh of Banga and conductor Shamsher Singh of Ramdas – have been arrested. Daljinder Singh Dhillon, SSP, said teams had been formed to arrest the remaining accused.
