A Delhi court has formally framed charges against a bus driver and conductor accused of kidnapping and sexually assaulting a 16-year-old girl inside a sleeper bus in August. The court indicated that the evidence presented against the two individuals would be rigorously examined during the ensuing trial.
The charges were framed by Special Judge Sonam Gupta, who presides over cases under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, approximately a week after the Delhi Police submitted a comprehensive chargesheet spanning nearly 400 pages.
According to the court’s proceedings, the accused, identified as Kuldeep and Sandeep, face charges including kidnapping, wrongful confinement, kidnapping for the purpose of marriage or sexual intercourse, and gang-rape under the provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). Furthermore, they have been charged under Section 6 of the POCSO Act for aggravated penetrative sexual assault, a serious offense pertaining to children.
The court, in its decision, dismissed arguments put forth by the defence counsel, who had suggested that the evidence was fabricated by the police under pressure from media scrutiny. Judge Gupta stated that the validity and authenticity of the collected material would be thoroughly tested as the trial progresses.
The case has been scheduled for October 24 for the recording of the victim’s testimony. A detailed copy of the court’s order was not immediately available following the hearing.
During the court session, Special Public Prosecutor Nimmi Sisodia presented arguments supporting the prosecution’s case. She contended that the victim’s statement, along with the testimonies of other witnesses, prima facie corroborated the prosecution’s narrative. This narrative alleges that the girl was abducted, confined within the bus, and subjected to sexual assault before being abandoned near Kashmere Gate.
Information obtained by The Chenab Times indicates that the victim, a student of Class 11 from Mainpuri in Uttar Pradesh, was travelling to Noida on the night of August 4 to visit her cousin. The prosecution stated that she inadvertently disembarked at an incorrect location due to heavy rainfall.
She reportedly attempted to flag down a sleeper bus, and the conductor assured her that the vehicle was heading towards Noida Sector 63. However, the police later alleged that the bus was, in fact, empty and was returning after undergoing repairs at a workshop in Greater Noida.
The prosecution further detailed that as soon as the bus commenced its journey, the conductor allegedly engaged in inappropriate behaviour towards the girl. Subsequently, both the conductor and the driver are accused of sexually assaulting her throughout the remainder of the journey.
Police reports also indicate that the accused threatened the victim with death if she offered any resistance to their actions. This alleged intimidation was part of the sequence of events that transpired inside the moving vehicle.
Following the assault, the accused reportedly left the girl near the Kashmere Gate bus terminal. From there, she managed to take an autorickshaw to a nearby police station, where she formally lodged a complaint detailing the harrowing experience.
Authorities confirmed that the bus involved in the incident was identified within hours of the complaint being filed, utilizing CCTV footage that traced its location to a parking area in Timarpur. The two accused individuals, both stated to be residents of Kanpur, were apprehended shortly thereafter. The details of the charges framed underscore the gravity of the allegations and the legal proceedings initiated against the bus crew.
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The Chenab Times News Desk
