Kolkata: A woman journalist in Kolkata showed remarkable courage after she was reportedly molested, assaulted, and verbally abused by a 55-year-old man inside a crowded private bus on Friday night (June 20). The incident took place near Ultadanga where the accused, identified as Sanjay Basak from Narayanpur, was occupying a sear reserved for women.
Despite the harassment and physical assault, the woman refused to back down. Raising an alarm, she called the police, and with the help of co-passengers, dragged the accused off the bus. He was reportedly arrested on the spot.
‘Told Me I Was Immoral for Travelling Late’
According to the woman’s complaint, Basak began touching her inappropriately shortly after boarding the bus. She repeatedly asked him to sit properly, but he responded with abuses. “He questioned my morality since I was returning so late at night and advised me to take a cab instead,” she told TOI in a statement.
When the discomfort became unbearable, the journalist shouted at him. In response, Basak threw her bag at her, slapped her, and allegedly tugged at her clothes, tearing them. “He slapped me and began tugging at my clothes, which eventually got torn,” she told the publication. Despite the aggression, the journalist immediately dialled the police.
Man Arrested, Case Registered
The police asked her to get down at Baguiati crossing, promising quick action. With support from fellow passengers, the woman pulled the accused off the bus. Officers arrived shortly after, registered her complaint, and arrested Basak on the spot.
“A case has been registered under BNS sections dealing with molestation, voluntarily causing grievous hurt, criminal intimidation, wrongful restraint, and mischief,” a Bidhannagar City Police officer confirmed. The woman was sent for a medical examination and is scheduled to record her confidential statement before a magistrate on Monday.
Basak was produced in Barasat court, which granted him conditional bail, including mandatory appearances and a ban on leaving the city without police permission.
