Minor Assaulted In Moving Bus Between Greater Noida and Delhi; Two Held

New Delhi, August 31, 2026 In a disturbing incident that has once again put the spotlight on women's safety in the National Capital Region, a 16-year-old girl was allegedly sexually assaulted inside a moving private sleeper bus on the night of August 4. Police confirmed the incident on Monday and said both the driver and conductor have been taken into custody. The bus was travelling from Pari Chowk in Greater Noida to Kashmere Gate ISBT in Old Delhi, covering a distance of around 47 kilometres. According to officials, the vehicle has been seized and sent for forensic analysis. Deputy Commissioner of Police (North) Niharika Bhatt confirmed the arrests and stated that the investigation is in progress. As per police sources, the victim is a Class 11 student from Mainpuri, Uttar Pradesh. She had left her house without informing her family to meet her cousin in Noida but lost her way and reached Pari Chowk amid heavy rain and low visibility. She signalled an empty sleeper bus for help. The staff on board told her they were going towards Noida Sector 63 and offered her a lift. Police said that after the bus started moving, the two men allegedly assaulted her and intimidated her. They later dropped her near Ring Road close to Kashmere Gate ISBT and fled. The girl approached the Kashmere Gate police station and lodged a complaint. Acting on her statement, police traced and arrested the duo from a bus parking area in Timarpur, North Delhi. Preliminary inquiry revealed that the bus had developed a snag earlier and was repaired at a workshop in Surajpur, Greater Noida. Kuldeep and Sandeep were returning with the empty vehicle to Timarpur when they met the girl at Pari Chowk. Officials noted that the bus was fitted with curtains, making it difficult to see inside from outside. The case has triggered political reactions. The Congress hit out at the governments in Delhi and Uttar Pradesh, stating that the incident had "shaken the nation". In a post on X, the party said, "The savagery continued for nearly 50 km in the moving bus, but the police from two states turned a deaf ear and slept on. No patrolling, no checking." The party alleged collapse of law and order and said, "This incident not only exposes the hollow claims of women's safety but also shows that criminals have no fear of the law. Today, criminals are brazenly committing crimes, and the BJP governments are busy with empty, pie-in-the-sky promises, with no concern for the safety of the people." The incident underlines the urgent need for tighter monitoring of private buses, especially during night hours, mandatory background checks for drivers and conductors, and strengthened patrolling on inter-state routes to prevent such crimes in future.