Passengers sleeping at Thiruvananthapuram’s Thamapanur Bus Terminal became victims of assault on Tuesday night after a security guard caned several of them.

In a blatant misuse of power, Vijayakumar, a security guard at the Kerala Road Transport Corporation's bus terminal, was caught on camera hitting several passengers, who were sleeping, while asking them to leave the terminal. Vijayakumar spares no one, including elderly men, as he goes from one sleeping passenger to another, and wakes them up by brutally hitting them with his cane. The video also shows the guard repeatedly caning the passenger’s face, while another passenger who questions the act is slapped by Vijayakumar’s colleague.

Following a complaint, the police rushed to the spot and arrested Vijaykumar. “He has been charged with sections 324 (voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons or means) and section 506 (criminal intimidation),” Sub Inspector Thampanoor Sampath told TNM.

He was later released on bail.    

District Transport Officer Jayachandran told TNM that Vijayakumar was terminated following the brutal assault on passengers.

“He was appointed on a temporary basis and has been terminated after the assault. He was recruited through a firm which supplies security guard,” Jayachandran said.  

A source in  KSRTC said that it has come to its notice that the bus terminal is being used by anti-social elements now. “Such people have been causing trouble to the passengers who are awaiting buses. They even eve tease women and women are afraid to be alone there during the night," he said. 

#WATCH: A security guard thrashes passengers sleeping at Thiruvananthapuram's Thampanoor Bus Terminal in Kerala. (August 29) pic.twitter.com/JhGsaxDADI

— ANI (@ANI) August 31, 2017