New Delhi: What began as a desperate search for a ride home in heavy rain allegedly turned into a horrifying ordeal for a teenage girl from Uttar Pradesh, who police say was sexually assaulted inside a moving sleeper bus before being abandoned near Delhi’s Kashmere Gate.
The Class 11 student from Mainpuri, Uttar Pradesh, had travelled towards Noida to meet her cousin. On the night of August 4, she reportedly got off at Greater Noida’s Pari Chowk by mistake amid heavy rain and darkness. Stranded and seeking help, she signalled an approaching sleeper bus.
According to police, the conductor told her that the bus was heading towards Noida Sector 63, where she wanted to go. Believing she was getting help, the teenager boarded the bus.
What followed, police allege, was a nightmare.
Nearly three hours inside the bus
Police said the teenager boarded the bus at around 9 pm and was allegedly kept inside until around midnight. Instead of taking her towards her intended destination, the bus travelled deep into Delhi, covering roughly 47 km before reaching the Kashmere Gate area.
According to her statement to police, the driver and conductor allegedly sexually assaulted her while the bus was moving. She also alleged that she was threatened when she resisted.
The bus reportedly had its curtains drawn, making it difficult for people outside to see what was happening inside.
From a visit to her cousin in Noida to signalling a sleeper bus for a ride back to Delhi, the 16-year-old’s ordeal unfolded on the road. @jessica_goel brings the details of the Delhi-NCR gangrape horror, including the bus allegedly flouting multiple norms.#DelhiNCR… pic.twitter.com/7kysBFtxiX
— IndiaToday (@IndiaToday) August 31, 2026
Abandoned near Kashmere Gate
Around midnight, the teenager was allegedly left near Ring Road in the Kashmere Gate area, in a distressed condition, after which the driver and conductor fled.
An auto-rickshaw driver reportedly noticed the crying teenager and asked where she wanted to go. Unable to clearly identify her location, she was taken to the Kashmere Gate police station, where she narrated the alleged assault and provided her family’s contact details.
Police subsequently arranged her medical examination and informed her family. She was later handed over to her relatives after the necessary formalities.
Driver and conductor arrested
Delhi Police launched an investigation after receiving the complaint. CCTV footage from the route and technical surveillance reportedly helped investigators trace the sleeper bus to a parking facility in Timarpur.
The driver, Kuldeep, and conductor, Sandeep, were arrested and the bus was seized for forensic examination. Police have booked the accused under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the POCSO Act, given that the complainant is a minor.
Police said the bus had earlier developed a mechanical problem and had been taken to a workshop in Surajpur, Greater Noida, for repairs. The accused were reportedly taking the empty vehicle towards Timarpur when they encountered the teenager at Pari Chowk.
Bus safety under scrutiny
The case has raised troubling questions beyond the alleged crime itself: How could an empty sleeper bus travel nearly 47 km across the Delhi-NCR without anyone detecting what was happening inside?
Investigators have flagged several apparent safety concerns, including a non-functional CCTV camera inside the bus, heavy curtains covering its windows and 11 pending traffic challans, according to The Indian Express.
The bus reportedly travelled from Pari Chowk towards Delhi, entering the capital and continuing towards Kashmere Gate. The episode has consequently revived concerns over the enforcement of safety norms for commercial passenger buses—particularly measures introduced or strengthened following the 2012 Delhi gangrape.
Jurisdiction row adds another layer
The case has also triggered a jurisdictional dispute between Delhi Police and Uttar Pradesh Police.
While Delhi Police registered the FIR after the teenager approached Kashmere Gate police station and proceeded with the investigation, Uttar Pradesh Police have questioned why they were not initially informed, arguing that part of the alleged crime fell within the Gautam Buddh Nagar police jurisdiction.
For the teenager, however, the jurisdictional question came only after a night that began with her seeking help and ended with her allegedly being abandoned miles from where she intended to go.
The investigation is continuing, with police examining CCTV footage, forensic evidence and other material recovered from the bus. The allegations against the accused are subject to the ongoing investigation and judicial process.
