A 16-year-old girl was allegedly sexually assaulted by the driver and conductor of a sleeper bus in Greater Noida earlier this month, police said on Monday. The two accused have been arrested and the bus has been seized for forensic examination.
According to police, the alleged incident took place near Pari Chowk on August 4. The teenager, a resident of Uttar Pradesh’s Mainpuri, had reportedly left home without informing her family after being reprimanded by her mother over her studies.
She was travelling to Noida Sector 63, where her cousin lives, when the incident allegedly occurred.
Teenager allegedly boarded empty bus
According to the complaint, the girl mistakenly got down at Pari Chowk amid heavy rain and darkness. Realising that she was at the wrong location, she hailed a sleeper bus.
Police said the bus was empty of passengers and was returning after undergoing repairs at a workshop in Surajpur. The conductor allegedly told the girl that the bus was headed towards Noida Sector 63, following which she boarded the vehicle.
The teenager alleged that the conductor began behaving inappropriately shortly after the bus started moving. She further alleged that both the driver and conductor sexually assaulted her and threatened her when she resisted.
The accused allegedly abandoned her near the Ring Road in Delhi and fled. She subsequently approached the police.
Driver, conductor arrested
The accused have been identified by police as Kuldeep, the driver, and Sandeep, the conductor. They were arrested from a parking area in Timarpur, Delhi, on the same day, according to police.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (North Delhi) Niharika Bhat said the bus had been seized and sent for forensic examination. Police also collected CCTV footage from the route taken by the vehicle.
Forensic teams reportedly recovered strands of the teenager’s hair from the bus as part of the investigation.
The accused have been booked under provisions relating to gang rape, kidnapping and assault, police said. They have been sent to judicial custody.
Teenager handed over to parents
Following the incident, the girl was produced before the Child Welfare Committee. She was subsequently handed over to her parents.
Police are continuing their investigation, including examination of forensic evidence and CCTV footage.
The case has also brought renewed attention to concerns around the safety of women and children while travelling alone, particularly in situations involving isolated or unoccupied public transport vehicles.
The incident comes years after the 2012 Delhi bus rape and murder case triggered widespread public outrage and led to significant changes in India’s laws dealing with sexual offences against women.
