A man on a bus in Calcutta groped a 26-year-old woman openly, but all his co-passengers barring one appeared unaffected, reported Telegraph India.
The woman, a clinical psychologist by profession, had boarded a bus on the Paikpara-Garia route at Ultadanga station in Calcutta. Minutes after the accused got into the bus at the Hudco crossing. According to the Telegraph India report, he sat down beside her and started inching towards her once the bus started moving.
The conductor did not feel the need to do anything about the assault. According to the Telegraph India report, on being asked by the woman to stop the bus, he said: "Bhir bus-e esab hotei pare. Aami er jonyo bus thamabo na (These things can happen on a crowded bus. I won't stop the bus for this)".
However, a college student travelling on the same bus was having none of it. On reaching the Chingrighata crossing, he got off the bus and returned moments later with a traffic sergeant and a constable, reported Telegraph India.
The accused, who has been identified as a 52-year-old Jadavpur resident called Amit Baran Das, was taken to the Beleghata traffic guard's office and subsequently to the police station. The woman lodged an FIR and the accused has been arrested.
He has been charged under several sections of the IPC including 354 (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty) and 354A (sexual harassment), and has been remanded in judicial custody till 28 May.
However, what comes across as a shock is the general apathy with which the co-passengers regarded the woman's ordeal.
According to the Telegraph report, after the student returned with the cops one of the co passengers allegedly shouted:
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