Kolkata Journalist Harassed & Slapped on Moving Bus by 55-Year-old Man

A female journalist was allegedly abused, slapped, and molested by a 55-year-old co-passenger on a private bus while returning home from work in Kolkata on Friday night.

According to reports, the accused, identified as Sanjay Basak of Narayanpur, was seated next to the journalist in a seat reserved for women.

As per the woman’s complaint, the man began touching her inappropriately near Ultadanga.

Narrating her ordeal to the media, she said she repeatedly asked him to sit properly. Instead, he abused her and questioned why she was travelling so late at night. “He advised me to take a cab. Initially, I tried to adjust. But at one point, the discomfort became unbearable, and I shouted at him, raising an alarm,” the journalist recalled.

Startled by her reaction, the man stood up. She then placed her bag on the seat to prevent him from sitting beside her again. However, he picked up the bag and threw it at her. As she raised her voice, he slapped her and began tugging at her clothes, which tore in the process.

Despite the horrifying situation, the woman remained undeterred. She immediately called the police and informed them of the incident.

Officers asked her to get off at Baguiati Crossing and assured her that a team would be dispatched. With the help of fellow passengers, she managed to drag the accused out of the bus.

Police arrived shortly after and recorded her complaint. Sanjay Basak was taken to Baguiati Police Station.

A case has been registered under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) pertaining to molestation, voluntarily causing grievous hurt, criminal intimidation, wrongful restraint, and mischief, a Bidhannagar police officer said. He added that Basak was arrested on the spot.

The accused was produced before a local court, which granted him bail with conditions — including timely appearance before the magistrate and a prohibition on leaving the city without the investigating officer's permission.