Bus fresh from repairs, no passengers aboard: How UP teen was lured, gang-raped and dumped in Delhi

NEW DELHI: A family row, a wrong stop, and an empty bus returning from a repair workshop set off a chain of events that ended in the alleged gang-rape of a 16-year-old girl from Uttar Pradesh, police said on Monday.Stranded amid heavy rain and darkness after getting off at the wrong stop, the teenager was allegedly gang-raped inside a moving sleeper bus after boarding the vehicle seeking help, police said. The bus then travelled nearly 47km before the teenager was allegedly abandoned near Kashmere Gate.The incident took place on the night of August 4 after the teenager, from Mainpuri district, left home following a disagreement with her family and set out to meet her cousin in Noida.Wrong stop amid rain and darknessAccording to police, the girl got off at Pari Chowk by mistake amid heavy rain and darkness. An empty sleeper bus passing through the area stopped after she signalled for help.The driver, Kuldeep, and conductor, Sandeep, allegedly told her that the bus was headed towards Noida Sector 63 and allowed her to board.Curtains drawn as bus movesPolice said the conductor allegedly began making obscene advances towards the teenager soon after the bus started moving.The girl, in her complaint, alleged that both the driver and conductor subsequently raped her and threatened to kill her when she resisted.The sleeper bus had curtains around its berths, which police said allegedly helped the accused conceal what was happening inside during the journey.The bus travelled nearly 47km towards Kashmere Gate. The accused allegedly abandoned the teenager on Ring Road near the Kashmere Gate bus terminal late at night and fled.The terrified student approached Kashmere Gate police and reported the incident.Police subsequently arrested Kuldeep and Sandeep from a bus parking area in Timarpur and seized the sleeper bus. The vehicle has been sent for forensic examination.Bus was heading to Timarpur after repairsPolice said the bus had earlier broken down and was taken to a workshop in Surajpur for repairs. After the repairs were completed, the driver and conductor were taking the empty bus to Timarpur when they encountered the teenager at Pari Chowk.Monu Gupta, manager of the bus travel company, said the bus had been parked at Himgiri, Surajpur, from July 27 to August 4 for repair work due to a sensor-related issue."We had asked the driver and conductor to take the bus to Timarpur for repair. The next morning, we received a call from the administration, we were told that the bus had been seized and the driver and conductor were arrested," Gupta said.Recounting the bus's movements, Gupta said the vehicle was taken out of Himgiri around 5pm on August 4 after the repairs were completed. The driver and conductor later moved it out again around 9pm and were instructed to proceed towards Timarpur."We had parked the car in Himgiri to repair it. When it was repaired on the 4th of August, we took the car from there. We took the car out of Himgiri at 5 in the evening." "After that, they parked the car a little further from there. They took the car out at 9. After taking the car out at 9, we told them to go to Timarpur."Gupta said the company expected the bus to reach Timarpur but instead received a call from Delhi authorities the following morning informing them that the vehicle had been seized. Further investigation is underway.(The victim's identity has not been revealed to protect her privacy as per Supreme court directives on cases related to sexual assault)You Can Also Check: Gold Rate in Delhi | Silver Rate in Delhi | Bank Holidays in Delhi | Public Holidays in Delhi | Delhi AQI | Weather in Delhi | Petrol Price in Delhi | Diesel Price in Delhi | CNG Price in Delhi | LPG Price in DelhiStay updated with the latest Delhi news. Download the TOI App.