Bus conductor sentenced to 5 years’ RI for sexually abusing minor girl

The Thiruvananthapuram Fast Track Special Court on Monday sentenced a bus conductor to five years of rigorous imprisonment and imposed a fine of ₹15,000 for sexually abusing a 17-year-old girl.

Special Judge Anju Meera Birla pronounced the verdict against Arun Kumar, 46, of Aruvikkara. He will have to undergo an additional six months of imprisonment if he defaults the fine payment.

The judgment specified that the fine amount, along with compensation from the District Legal Services Authority, must be provided to the survivor.

According to the prosecution led by Special Public Prosecutor R.S. Vijay Mohan, the incident that led to the case occurred on September 23, 2024, inside a bus operating from Vellanad to East Fort.

The accused was the conductor of the bus, which the survivor regularly took to school in the morning. On the day of the incident, the accused molested the girl inside the bus that was heavily crowded.

Frightened by the incident, the girl did not initially disclose the matter to anyone. Since there were no alternative buses available, she had to continue commuting to school on the same bus. Seeing the accused repeatedly caused her to sink into depression. The abuse finally came to light when she was taken to a psychologist for treatment. The Museum police subsequently registered a case.

The prosecution examined 17 witnesses and presented 25 documents during the trial.