UP teenager gang-raped on bus, abandoned near Kashmere Gate

A 16-year-old student was allegedly gang-raped by the driver and conductor of an empty sleeper bus after she sought their help during heavy rain, police sources said. Both accused have been arrested.

The alleged assault took place on 4 August while the Class 11 student, a resident of Uttar Pradesh’s Mainpuri district, was travelling to Noida to meet her cousin.

According to police sources, the teenager mistakenly alighted at Pari Chowk because of the darkness and heavy rain, believing she had reached Noida Sector 63. After realising her mistake, she signalled an approaching bus for assistance.

There were no passengers inside the vehicle. The conductor purportedly told her that the bus was heading towards Noida Sector 63, prompting her to board it.

The teenager alleged that soon after the vehicle began moving, the conductor made obscene advances towards her. She told police that the driver and conductor then sexually assaulted her inside the bus and threatened to kill her if she resisted.

The two accused allegedly abandoned her near the Kashmere Gate bus terminal on Ring Road late at night before fleeing.

The teenager approached Kashmere Gate police and reported the incident. A woman police officer assisted her and accompanied her for a medical examination.

Police subsequently registered an FIR under the relevant provisions relating to gang rape, kidnapping and assault.

Investigators examined CCTV recordings to identify and trace the vehicle. The conductor was arrested from a parking facility in Timarpur, while the driver was also taken into custody.

The bus was seized and subjected to forensic examination. Evidence collected from the vehicle has been sent for further analysis, while CCTV recordings have also been secured as part of the investigation.

Police sources said the vehicle had been taken to a workshop in Surajpur after developing a mechanical fault. The driver and conductor were reportedly returning the empty bus to its parking facility in Timarpur after the repairs when they encountered the teenager at Pari Chowk.

An officer, who requested anonymity, said frequent barricading along the route was difficult because much of it comprised highways and Ring Road, where checks could cause severe traffic congestion. Police personnel were, however, deployed near the Delhi border at the Noida entry point, the officer added.

“The police informed the girl's family about the incident the same night and called them to Delhi. Woman police personnel remained with her and provided assistance until her family arrived,” the officer said.

The teenager was handed over to her family after the necessary procedures were completed.

Police also conducted potency tests on the accused following their arrest. The investigation is continuing as officials await the forensic examination results.

With PTI inputs