A complaint has been lodged with the North Paravoor Police in Ernakulam after a KSRTC conductor allegedly humiliated a Class 12 student and denied her a zero-fare ticket under the Priyadarshini free travel scheme.

The incident occurred on Saturday evening when the girl was travelling on a KSRTC ordinary bus on the Guruvayur-Ernakulam route.

According to her complaint, she had recently shaved her head as part of a religious ritual, and her hair had only started growing back. She alleged that the conductor refused to issue her a zero ticket, saying she did not “look like a girl” because of her short hair.

The student told the media that the conductor initially demanded ₹15 for a ticket. “I was travelling with my friends. The conductor asked me to pay ₹15. When my friend asked why, he said I had to pay for the ticket. My friend told him I was a girl, but he said he did not feel that way. He also said that since he had already printed the ticket, I had to pay for it," the girl said.

“I told him I did not have the money. He suddenly asked me to get off the bus. I got up, moved towards the door and asked him to stop the vehicle. He then called out to the other passengers and asked, ‘Does anyone feel like she is a girl? I don't feel like so anyway.’ Everyone, including the conductor, started laughing. My friend asked him why he was speaking to a girl like that.”

The student further alleged that the conductor told her to “paste on her forehead” that she was a girl and said he could not “take off her clothes and check”, while again commenting that she did not look like a girl.

She also alleged that the bus did not immediately leave after she and her friends got off. “They parked it on the roadside and allowed others to shout at us. A man even got down and tried to beat us. Two other men also shouted abusive words at us from inside the bus,” she said.

The girl subsequently lodged a complaint with the North Paravur Police. “We have begun an investigation. The girl and the conductor have been called to the station to record their statements. A case will be registered subsequently,” a police officer said.

Meanwhile, North Paravur Municipal Chairperson Ramesh D Kurup said the matter had come to the attention of Chief Minister V D Satheesan, who had directed that necessary action be taken. Kurup also said the incident was part of attempts to undermine the state government's flagship Priyadarshini free travel programme.