Kasaragod police arrest KSRTC conductor for sexually assaulting minor boy during journey
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Kasaragod: Nileshwar police arrested a conductor of a Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) passenger bus for allegedly sexually assaulting a 16-year-old boy during a journey last year.
Police identified the accused as P Rajan (42), a temporary conductor of KSRTC and resident of Payyanganam in Kasaragod's Kuttikol grama panchayat.
He was charged with section 7 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act for sexual assault, which, according to section 8 of the Act, carries a punishment between three to five years in prison, said Nileshwar Station House Officer Inspector Nibin Joy.
According to the complaint, the alleged incident happened on May 10, 2024, when the boy and his mother boarded Rajan's bus to Kannur from Nileshwar bus stand. The boy, who sat separately, told police the conductor touched him with sexual intent during the journey.
But the crime came to light only in mid-January 2025, after the boy, exhibiting unusual behaviour, was taken for psychological counselling. During the session, he confided in the counsellor about his ordeal. "The boy could not remember the conductor's name but said he could identify the accused if he saw him," the officer said.
After two weeks of investigation, led by Nileshwar sub-inspector Vishnu Prasad, the police identified the conductor as Rajan. A Hosdurg court remanded him in judicial custody for two weeks, said Inspector Joy.