Cantonment police on Monday, May 6, registered a case against the Thiruvananthapuram Mayor Arya Rajendran and MLA Sachin Dev. her husband, following a directive of the Thiruvananthapuram first class judicial magistrate court. The court gave the directive to register the case in connection with waylaying a transport bus and entering into an altercation with the driver while considering the petition moved by the KSRTC driver LH Yadhu. Earlier on Saturday, the police had registered a case after the Thiruvananthapuram Additional Magistrate court issued a similar direction while considering a petition by Baiju Noyal, an advocate.
The case is related to a road rage incident involving a KSRTC bus driver, accused of showing obscene gestures, which raised concerns of alleged abuse of power and violation of rules by the city Mayor Arya Rajendran and husband and MLA Sachin Dev. The incident occurred on April 27, when the Mayor and family, who were travelling in a car, blocked the KSRTC bus and argued with the driver over rash driving. Arya alleged that the driver made sexually suggestive gestures at them. Following this, Arya filed a complaint against the driver.
As per the Cantonment police, they booked the Mayor Arya Rajendran and her husband MLA Sachin Dev and three others under sections, 353 (Assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty), 447 (Criminal trespass) 294 (b) (singing, reciting or uttering any obscene song, ballad or words, in or near any public place) and 201 (Causing disappearance of evidence of offence) of Indian Penal Code (IPC).
Yadhu moved to court after his attempt to file a police complaint failed. He lodged a complaint against the Mayor and MLA for interrupting his duty and disrupting the trip. However, the police did not register a case.
The police also investigate the allegation that the memory card was missing from the digital video recorder of the bus.
As per Arya’s complaint, when her car turned from Plamoodu to PMG, the KSRTC bus approached rashly from one side and nearly brushed past them. When Arya and her sister-in-law questioned this, the KSRTC driver allegedly made a vulgar gesture at them.
Following a complaint by the Mayor, a case was filed against the driver, Yadhu, on April 28, under Section 354A (sexual harassment) of the Indian Penal Code.
The driver denied the allegation and said it was an issue of not giving way for the Mayor’s vehicle to pass through.