Thiruvananthapuram: KSRTC employees who are not willing to correct themselves will be dismissed as per protocol, stated Biju Prabhakar, the Chairman and Managing Director of the Kerala State Road Transport Corporation, on Wednesday.
He was responding to Tuesday's incident where a man was rounded up and assaulted for demanding student's concession card for his daughter.
The behaviour of a few employees affects the reputation of the whole establishment, he noted.
"The incident is deplorable and extremely unfortunate. It is upsetting that such incidents tarnish the corporation's name when it is trying to tide over the crisis with corrective measures," Biju Prabhakar said.
"I apologise to the public for the treatment meted out to the girl and her father. We will never protect such employees. The government has been asked to weed out such individuals. The Transport Minister is also of the similar view," he added.
Four employees of the KSRTC were suspended over the incident in which a 55-year-old man, named Preman, was assaulted for demanding a student's concession card for his daughter on Tuesday. His college-going daughter was shoved by a few employees of the public transport carrier after a brief war of words erupted between them at the bus depot in the morning.
"Four employees, including the station master of the Kattakkada KSRTC depot, have been suspended with immediate effect," said Transport Minister Antony Raju.
The High Court too registered a suo motu case on the shocking incident.
The incident caught wide public and media attention after a purported visual captured on a mobile phone went viral. In the video, the employees could be seen dragging the man into a room and then thrashing him. It also shows the girl being pushed away as she tried to stop the assailants.
The daughter could also be seen questioning the assault by the employees and another man could be heard telling the employees to spare the duo.
Preman later sought treatment at the taluk hospital.
The minister had sought an urgent report from the KSRTC CMD on the incident.
Later in the evening, an order was issued suspending four employees based on the preliminary inquiry report.
Kattakkada police said five KSRTC employees have been booked in connection with the incident and various sections of the IPC including 143, 149, 323 have been slapped against them.
