GUWAHATI: A 16-year-old girl was allegedly raped inside a sleeper bus during its nearly 47-km journey from Greater Noida to Old Delhi’s Kashmere Gate, with reportssaying the vehicle passed through the route without being stopped or checked at any police picket.
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The incident took place on the night of August 4 during the bus's journey from Pari Chowk in Greater Noida to Kashmere Gate in Delhi. Police have arrested the driver, identified as 39-year-old Kuldeep, and conductor, 26-year-old Sandeep, and seized the bus for forensic examination.
According to police, the girl, a resident of Mainpuri district, had left home without informing her family and was travelling to Noida to meet her cousin. Amid heavy rain and darkness, she accidentally reached Pari Chowk in Greater Noida.
The girl reportedly signalled to an empty sleeper bus passing through the area. The driver and conductor allegedly told her that they were heading towards Noida Sector 63 and offered to drop her there.
According to her statement to police, shortly after the bus began moving, the conductor allegedly made obscene gestures towards her. The two accused then allegedly sexually assaulted her and threatened to kill her if she resisted, DCP North Bhatt said.
The accused allegedly dropped the girl on Ring Road near the Kashmere Gate ISBT later that night and fled. She subsequently approached Kashmere Gate police and reported the incident.
Police arrested both accused from a bus parking lot in north Delhi's Timarpur, officers said. They were arrested within four hours of the incident.
Investigators said the bus was not operating as a regular passenger service at the time. According to investigators and the travel company, the sleeper bus had developed a technical fault and had been taken to a workshop in Surajpur, Greater Noida, for repairs.
The driver and conductor reportedly collected the bus from the workshop at around 5 PMand resumed their journey around 9 PM.
Police have collected forensic evidence from the seized bus, including hair strands and suspected semen samples. The accused have also undergone medical examinations as part of the investigation.
The incident has raised renewed questions over the implementation of safety measures for passenger buses, particularly in the aftermath of the December 16, 2012 Delhi gangrape case.