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KOLKATA: A group of nine men and teenagers terrorized a bus full of passengers after they threatened, intimidated and finally assaulted two female passengers and the conductor of a private bus in south Kolkata after they protested against their unruly behaviour. The incident took place between Deshapriya Park and Kalighat — believed to be among the most secure zones in the city — late on Monday evening.

But for the exemplary courage shown by a 48-year-old school teacher and her 23-year-old daughter — a dancer by profession — the incident could have ended on a more violent note, admitted cops.

The Tollygunge police registered a case on the basis of the complaint of the mother. “19-year-old Shoaib Ahmed — who has a cellphone repairing job and is a resident of Mominpore Road , was arrested. His brother, a 15-year-old who reportedly led the attack, has been apprehended and his parents asked to visit the juvenile justice board,” said an officer. Police have slapped cases under IPC sections 354 (molestation), 341 (wrongful restraint), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt) and 114 (abettor present when offence was committed).

According to the 23-year-old braveheart, the mother-daughter duo had boarded the bus on route 3C/1, plying between Anandapur and Nagerbazar, from Gariahat crossing. “We had completed our Puja shopping and boarded the bus around 9.30pm. As the bus neared the Deshapriya Park crossing, nine young men — all of them dressed in black and white (except one wearing a red T-shirt) and donning black caps — boarded the bus. While five of them stood on the bus footboard, the rest stood blocking the entrance,” recalled the woman.

The women said initially, the conductor politely asked the young men to leave the footboard and get inside the bus. “All of them refused, saying it was ‘too hot inside’. When the bus crossed Lake Market, the conductor asked the driver to stop the bus and asked all of them to get off the bus. One of the men grabbed the conductor by his shirt collar and punched him. They rained blows on him. The driver panicked and drove the bus to the Rashbehari crossing looking for cops,” said the woman.

Most passengers — save one journalist who called up the cops — opened the emergency exit gate and fled. Meanwhile, the driver turned towards Kalighat and brought the bus to a stop. “One of the youths pulled me by my hand and flung me to the floor of the bus. The journalist and two locals helped nab one of the accused from the spot who was handed over to the police,” said the dancer. Cops said searches are being carried out in Mominpore and Ekbalpore areas for the rest of the accused.

