Thiruvananthapuram: The Cantonment Police have registered a case against a KSRTC driver based on the complaint filed by Thiruvananthapuram Corporation Mayor Arya Rajendran about rash driving. The case has been registered against Yadu, a driver of Thampanoor depot.
An argument ensued when the mayor accused the driver of not giving way to the private vehicle in which she was travelling. The visuals of the fight were telecast on news channels. They were also shared on social media sites.
The Cantonment Police took the driver into custody and later released him on bail on Sunday morning. Yadu also filed a complaint, stating that the mayor's vehicle obstructed the trip by parking her car in front of the bus. However, the police have not registered a case.
The event unfolded late on Saturday when the car in which Mayor Arya was travelling blocked the bus at Palayam. The mayor and others questioned why the bus did not give way for the car to go.
The mayor was accompanied by her husband, Balussery MLA KM Sachin Dev. Talking to Manorama News on Sunday, Arya said that her complaint was not about the bus blocking her way, but the obscene gesture the driver showed.
Talking to reporters on Sunday, Yadu said the MLA boarded the bus and instructed everyone to disembark. There were around 15 people on the bus at that time. He said the police asked him to sign many papers.
"One officer told me that they had charged me under IPC section 345(A). I was unaware of its meaning, so I searched and discovered it pertains to 'sexual harassment and punishment.' I questioned this, but I was told that since I am not the Prime Minister or Chief Minister or above the mayor, this will happen. Officers told me that this was nothing but (Mayor's) ego clash," he said.
Yadu said he might lose his job over the complaint and police action. He said he apologised to the mayor over the phone, but she refused to accept it.