Two people have been arrested in connection with the alleged gang rape of a 17-year-old girl from Uttar Pradesh inside a moving sleeper bus, Delhi Police said on Monday.
The teenager approached Kashmiri Gate police station on the night of August 4 and alleged that she was raped while travelling from Mainpuri in Uttar Pradesh to visit a relative in Sector 63, Noida.
According to Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) North District Niharika Bhatt, the girl had boarded the bus after being stranded in heavy rain and seeking assistance.
"During questioning, it was revealed that she was travelling from Mainpuri, UP, to a relative's house in Sector 63, Noida. The rape occurred en route between Pari Chowk (Greater Noida) and Sector 63, Noida," Bhatt told ANI.
The girl alleged that following the incident, the bus driver and conductor dropped her on Ring Road, which falls under the jurisdiction of Kashmiri Gate police station.
The location was away from where the alleged crime had taken place.
"Recognising the sensitivity of the matter and adhering to the new criminal laws, without getting bogged down by jurisdictional issues, the Kashmiri Gate police station immediately arranged for the victim's medical examination and registered a case," the DCP added.
Police subsequently used CCTV footage to identify and trace the bus. Both accused were arrested within a few hours, according to the police.
The teenager was later produced before the Child Welfare Committee. Following the committee's directions, she was handed over to her father.
The investigation into the case is currently underway.
Atishi Criticises BJP Over Incident
Meanwhile, Delhi Assembly Leader of Opposition and AAP leader Atishi criticised the BJP governments over the incident.
She alleged that authorities were capable of taking stringent action in cases involving criticism of Prime Minister Narendra Modi but had failed to prevent crimes against women and children.
"The UP Police, Delhi Police, UP government, and the Delhi government all belong to the BJP. The Lieutenant Governor is from the BJP, the MHA is controlled by the BJP, and the Prime Minister is from the BJP too. Is there any engine left that the BJP does not control? The BJP government managed to track down a 15-year-old girl even from the depths of hell, who had hurled some abuses at PM Modi in a video, and they made her life miserable... The BJP government can exert its full might against someone who insults PM Modi, yet it cannot stop the rapes and violence being inflicted upon our daughters and children," the AAP leader said.