A 17-year-old student suffered multiple injuries after she fell from a private bus in Kochi. The incident occurred after the conductor allegedly did not allow the teen to board the bus.
Fathima Farhana, a class 12 commerce student of Cardinal Higher Secondary School in Thrikkakara was trying to board the bus at the Judge Mukku stop around 5 pm on Monday. The conductor of the private bus, called ‘MMS’ which commutes from Pookattupadi to Ernakulam, allegedly prevented her from entering the bus and pushed her out.
“The student tried to board the bus again, but this time she fell off as the bus began moving,” an official at Thrikkakara police station told TNM.
Though Fathima fell, the operators of the bus failed to come to her aid and the bus continued to move ahead, police said. Fathima was admitted to Medical Trust Hospital. She also suffered injuries to her hip bone.
A complaint was filed by the student’s parents and school authorities. Police have registered an FIR against the staff of the bus and the vehicle has been seized. Sections 341 (Punishment for wrongful restraint), 325 (Punishment for voluntarily causing grievous hurt) and 34 (Punishment for voluntarily causing grievous hurt) of Indian Penal Code has been charged against conductor and driver who are yet to be identified.
This is not the first time private bus operators have shown indifference to student passengers and failed to allow them to board buses. Recently, Ernakulam District Collector S Suhas intervened to help foster friendly relations between private bus operators and students by advising bus staff. Kochi’s private buses have also been pulled up for reckless driving behaviour in the past.
According to reports, school authorities have filed a complaint with the District Collector regarding the incident.
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