Teacher Nandini Sengupta recounts her harassment at the hands of a private bus conductor. In the background are her deaf-and-mute students. (Below): The private bus on route 241A. Pictures by Amit Datta

Two deaf-and-mute students were allegedly pushed off a private bus by a conductor on Monday, after they produced their handicapped cards and refused to pay their fares.

Bapi Mukherjee and Satyabrata Mukherjee fell on their teacher Nandini Sengupta, who was travelling with them and had got off the bus. Tapan Mondal, the conductor, also fell on her. The 28-year-old teacher suffered a deep cut on her left temple and injuries on her arms.

The driver and the conductor, who had also allegedly abused the three, were arrested. They have been slapped with an attempt-to-murder charge. The other conductor is absconding.

Nandini and the students, in their early 20s, boarded the bus, plying from Akra to Sealdah, at Taratala around 10.40am. The teacher paid her fare.

“When Mondal asked the students for their fares, they showed their handicapped-cards issued by the government. That led to an altercation, during which the conductor abused them. The students tried to calm down Mondal, but in vain. When the bus reached Wellington Square around 11.15am, the conductor refused to allow the students to get off the bus. The teacher somehow got off,” said an officer of New Market police station.

Nandini, Bapi and Satyabrata were going to Wellington Square to shop for Children’s Day celebrations at Utsav, the institute in Howrah they are associated with. When they tried to get off the bus, the conductor allegedly refused to stop the vehicle.

“The conductor and the driver tried to take us all the way to Sealdah. I managed to get down but my students could not. When the bus finally stopped, one of the students fell on me as the conductor pushed him out of the bus. I fell on the pavement and the left side of my face started bleeding,” said Nandini.

The conductor even hit the students on the face, she alleged. The three were taken to New Market police station by a sergeant who was on duty at Wellington Square. The teacher was taken to Medical College and Hospital, where she received stitches.

“The altercation started at Esplanade. None of the other passengers protested as the conductors abused us,” said Nandini, a resident of Budge Budge.

When the students, who live in Haridevpur and New Alipore, produced their handicapped cards, the conductor refused to consider them. “He said such cards are available in the market and can be easily bought. He insisted that the students buy tickets,” said Nandini.

The arrested duo will be produced in court on Tuesday.