A shocking case of a 16-year-old girl being sexually assaulted in Delhi, in which a bus driver and conductor of a sleeper bus sexually assaulted her, was reported, as the bus driver and conductor have been arrested. The incident happened on August 4, and it finally came to light after the minor went to the police and reported the crime after she spoke up and told her parents about the incident.
According to the information available, the girl, who is studying in Class 11, had travelled from Kashmiri Gate in Old Delhi as she was going to Noida to meet a relative. She had left home after she argued with family members and was heading to her cousin’s house.
The girl was at Pari Chowk near Noida, where she was taken off the bus after boarding the wrong vehicle. Heavy rain was blowing in off the ground, it said. Finding herself stranded, she tried to find help from a sleeper bus passing through the area.
The bus was almost empty at the time; the driver and conductor told the girl that they were going to Sector 63 in Noida and offered to help her. She boarded the sleeper bus in the hope that the two men would help her, the complaint said.
But the problem allegedly took a disturbing turn as soon as the bus started moving. The conductor, Sandeep, is alleged to have approached the minor inappropriately before Kuldeep (the driver) took over and sexually assaulted her.
The girl reported that both men sexually assaulted her while the bus was moving. She also said she was threatened with serious consequences, including death, if she fought back and tried to raise an alarm, police said.
The bus is believed to have traveled a considerable distance while the alleged assault was taking place. The information available is that the vehicle traveled 47 kilometres before it got to Kashmiri Gate. The sleeper bus had curtains covering its windows, making it hard for people outside the vehicle to see what was happening inside.
The accused allegedly dropped the girl near the Ring Road close to the Kashmiri Gate terminal after the incident. The minor then approached the Kashmiri Gate police and reported the sexual assault.
The Delhi Police launched an investigation and arrested the two accused, identified as driver Kuldeep and conductor Sandeep. Kuldeep and Sandeep are now charged with sexually assaulting the 16-year-old girl.
Police have also taken the sleeper bus into custody for forensic examination. That vehicle will be examined for evidence to establish the sequence of events and corroborate the allegations made by the minor.
According to this information, the bus had already had technical problems and was brought to the Surajpur area for repairs. The investigators are now investigating the vehicle’s movements and how the girl was picked up from the Pari Chowk area.
The case has raised serious concerns for minors and passengers who would need to seek help from public transport operators in difficult weather situations (e.g., heavy rain or stranded flight crew members when they have taken off at the wrong location).
The fact that it was inside a sleeper bus that traveled several kilometres has also raised questions about passenger safety and monitoring of private buses. The curtains around the sleeper berths may have further reduced visibility from outside, according to the information available.
The police investigation is ongoing, and forensic examination of the seized bus is expected to be an important part of the investigation. Statements from the minor, the accused, and other witnesses, along with technical and forensic evidence, will be analyzed by investigators.
Since the victim is a minor, authorities should respect her privacy and identity according to laws protecting children who are involved in sexual-offence cases.
The arrests of Kuldeep and Sandeep are a significant development in the investigation. However, the allegations will have to be proven through the legal process, and the accused shall be presumed innocent unless proven guilty by a court.
The incident has again brought to the fore the importance of safe transportation for women and children and the importance of immediate intervention when allegations of sexual violence involving minors are reported.
