Thane: Woman bus conductor allegedly molested, passenger arrested

A woman bus conductor was today allegedly molested and manhandled by a 30-year-old passenger in Dombivli town in Thane following a heated altercation over boarding the bus from the front exit, police said.

According to Senior Police Inspector Milind Patil of Manpada police station, the MSRTC bus was on its way to Dombivili railway station when the accused, identified as Arvind Singh, a resident of Kalamboli in Navi Mumbai, ran with the moving bus and tried to board it near Dombivili Sahakari Bank from the front exit.

The driver and the conductor objected to the passenger boarding the bus from the front door and instead asked him to take the rear entrance. Annoyed, Singh allegedly began abusing both of them after entering the bus.

When the woman asked Singh to stop misbehaving, he allegedly pushed her and tore her clothes during the scuffle. At this, angry fellow passengers roughed up the accused and subsequently handed him over to Manpada police.

He was arrested and charged under sections 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty) and 354 (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty) of the IPC, police said.