'Nothing learnt from Nirbhaya incident': Woman dragged, gang-raped; disturbing details emerge

NEW DELHI: Horrific details have emerged in the alleged gangrape of a 30-year-old married woman in northwest Delhi’s Mangolpuri area, where she was allegedly dragged into a private sleeper bus and sexually assaulted by the driver and conductor.

The incident, which police said took place on the night of May 11, has drawn comparisons with the 2012 Nirbhaya gangrape case that had triggered nationwide outrage over women’s safety.

According to police, the woman, a factory worker and mother of three, was returning home after work when she reached near the B-Block bus stand in Saraswati Vihar. She allegedly approached a man standing near the door of a private bus to ask for the time, as reported by news agency PTI.

The man allegedly pulled her inside the bus, after which the vehicle moved towards Nangloi. Police said the driver and conductor then allegedly raped her in turn.

Cops said the bus was parked near Nangloi Metro Station during part of the assault. The vehicle has since been seized for forensic examination.

Delhi Police said a PCR call was received from the woman reporting sexual assault by two men. Acting on her complaint, Rani Bagh Police registered an FIR under sections 64(1) (rape), 70(1) (gangrape) and 3(5) (common intention) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).

Deputy Commissioner of Police (Outer) Vikram Singh said the woman’s statement was recorded immediately and multiple police teams were formed to track down the accused.

“One accused was arrested soon after the FIR was lodged, while the second was apprehended within four hours,” a police officer said.

Both accused were produced before a court and sent to judicial custody. Police teams are now scanning CCTV footage from the route taken by the bus and examining all technical and forensic evidence to strengthen the case.

Police are also probing whether the bus had automatic doors and if any safety mechanisms were disabled during the crime.

The case has triggered sharp political reactions, with opposition leaders invoking memories of the Nirbhaya case.

Former Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal said on X that “nothing was learned from Nirbhaya” and described the incident as “a stain on society”.

Delhi unit chief of Aam Aadmi Party, Saurabh Bharadwaj, also condemned the incident, calling it “Nirbhaya repeated” and alleging that the bus kept moving for nearly two hours during the assault.
(With PTI inputs)