KOZHIKODE: Private buses on Kozhikode - Kannur and Kozhikode - Thottilpalam routes are currently on strike due to a recent incident. The strike comes in protest against a case registered under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offenses (POCSO) Act.

A POCSO case was filed by Chokli police based on a student's complaint who travelled on a bus along the Thottilpalam route. Another case was registered regarding a student who travelled on a bus between Thrissur and Kozhikode.

Bus employees argue that the police took action without conducting a thorough investigation leading to the strike.

A few days ago, a student filed a complaint against private bus staff in Kannur. The complaint was related to a girl being dropped off two kilometers away from her intended stop. This student, from Iritti Higher Secondary School reported the incident to the police and the motor vehicle department.

The incident occurred around 5.15 pm when the student was boarding a bus from Iritti town to Srikandapuram. Due to heavy traffic, she requested the conductor to stop the bus near Perumbarambu School. However, the conductor responded rudely in front of other passengers and forced her to exit at a different location. The student got off at a stop three stops away from the usual drop-off point called her family from a nearby shop and returned home with their assistance.

Upon returning home, she lodged a complaint with the police and a separate complaint has also been filed with the Iritti RTO.