Thiruvananthapuram: The additional sessions court has dismissed the anticipatory bail plea of four employees of the Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) who thrashed a 55-year-old man at the Kattakkada bus depot recently.

The court observed that government officials who physically harmed a man in front of his daughter do not deserve anticipatory bail.

Earlier, the Kerala Police had modified the charge to a non-bailable offence after the man's daughter Reshma deposed that she too was assaulted in the melee.

Poovachal panchayat employee Premanan was assaulted for demanding a student's concession card for his daughter.

Reshma too was shoved by a few employees of the public transport carrier after a brief war of words erupted between them.

The four accused — KSRTC Aryanad Unit station master A Mohammed Sherif, Kattakkada depot duty guard S R Suresh Kumar, conductor N Anil Kumar and Assistant CP Milan Dorich — are absconding.

It was alleged that police is delaying the arrest to buy more time for the four, leaders and members of various KSRTC unions, to get anticipatory bail.

In the anticipatory bail application, the accused alleged that the complainant Premanan was making false complaints due to personal enmity. They alleged that Premanan and another had come to the depot on the day with a camera to film the brawl and portray the KSRTC workers as the bad guys.

The video, which made rounds on social media, incited a public outcry against the KSRTC employees.

KSRTC Chairman and Managing Director Biju Prabhakar termed the incident deplorable and suspended the four from duty.

He also issued an apology to the public for the treatment meted out to the girl and her father.