Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala Human Rights Commission (HRC) on Thursday ordered a probe into a complaint by the KSRTC driver, who had been accused by Mayor Arya Rajendran of making sexually suggestive gestures towards her and her sister-in-law a few days ago.

Acting Chairperson of the Commission and Judicial Member K Baijunath directed the Thiruvananthapuram City Police Commissioner and the Managing Director of the Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) to conduct an investigation and submit a report within a week.

The complainant driver, H L Yadhu, had alleged that the Mayor and her family members including her husband and MLA Sachin Dev prevented him from discharging his duty on April 27 by blocking the bus with their private vehicle. The SHO of Cantonment police station took no action when a complaint in this regard was lodged, Yadhu alleged

In his complaint against Arya Rajendran, Sachin Dev and three others, the driver had alleged that they disrupted the bus journey, shouted obscenities against him and tried to make the passengers de-board the bus. The Cantonment SHO should be removed from the investigation and the probe must be transferred to another agency, Yadhu demanded. 

Last Saturday night, the mayor and her family got into a heated argument with the KSRTC bus driver after allegedly blocking the vehicle at Palayam junction. Rajendran claimed the KSRTC bus was not blocked, but CCTV visuals circulated later showed her private car parked across the zebra line on the road.

She had said that she spoke to the driver while the bus was stopped at the red signal area to raise her protest against his alleged sexually suggestive gestures towards her and her sister-in-law. The driver, who was booked in connection with the incident, has refuted the allegations.
(With PTI inputs)