4-yr-old raped in school bus at Pinjore village, driver arrested

Tribune News Service

Panchkula, February 15

A school bus driver has been arrested for allegedly raping a four-year-old girl at Marranwala village of Pinjore.

The crime took place yesterday and the suspect, identified as Niranjan (25) of Marranwala, was arrested this evening. The incident occurred when the suspect, a bus driver of a school in Baddi, was driving students home.

Deputy Commissioner of Police Kamal Deep Goyal told mediapersons that the victim’s maternal aunt told the police that the girl usually reached home at 2:20 pm, but on Friday she came at 2:30 pm.

Later, the victim complained of pain in her private parts and complication in urinating. She then confided in her aunt that the driver had ‘performed some bad acts with her’ in the bus on the way home.

The girl was rushed to the Civil Hospital in Sector 6 here in the evening, where doctors examined her. A preliminary medical report has confirmed sexual assault. However, the final report is yet to be submitted.

On getting information about the incident, DCP Kamal Deep Goyal, ACP Nupur Bishnoi and a crime branch team reached the hospital.

A case under Section 6 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012, and Section 376 of the IPC has been registered at the women police station in Sector 5. “The police would also be taking legal advice to fix the liability of the school,” the DCP said.

According to the police, though CCTV cameras were installed in the bus, these were not functional. Besides, there was no female attendant in the bus at the time of incident, said a police officer privy to the investigation.

Parents have reportedly time and again urged the school authorities to deploy female attendants in the school bus, but to no avail.

When contacted, ACP Nupur Bishnoi confirmed that they have arrested the suspect. “The investigation in the case is at a preliminary stage. We will interrogate the bus driver,” she said.

On the school’s accountability, she said any laxity on part of the school would also be investigated. However, it was school authorities only who had informed the police about the driver, Bishnoi added.

The school authorities couldn’t be contacted for their comments on the issue.

According to the crime data, Panchkula has seen a 33 per cent rise in the cases of rape and Section 4/6 (penetrative assault of minors) of the POCSO Act in 2019 as compared to 2018.

Previous incidents

• January 2020 A self-styled godman was arrested for raping two juveniles for three consecutive days at his ashram in Raipur Rani
• May 2019 A five-year-old girl was raped and murdered by a teenager in broad daylight in Sector 14 here. Last month, a Panchkula court had awarded the convict life imprisonment for committing the offence

Mentally challenged woman violated

Panchkula: The police have arrested a man, in his 40s, for sexually assaulting a 21-year-old mentally challenged woman at Batod village in Barwala here. The suspect has been identified as Rohtash. The incident occurred on February 13. A case was registered a day later. According to the victim’s mother, the suspect committed the offence when the victim’s was alone at home. TNS