Police have recovered crucial forensic evidence in the alleged gang-rape of a 16-year-old girl aboard a moving bus in Noida, with fingerprints reportedly found on the bus confirming the presence of the victim and the two accused at the scene.
According to sources, fingerprints belonging to the girl and the two accused -- bus driver Kuldeep and conductor Sandeep were recovered from the bus.
Police have also seized the clothes worn by both accused and collected forensic samples from the bus seats and steering wheel. Investigators are awaiting the DNA report, which is expected to provide further evidence in the case.
A chargesheet in the case is likely to be filed soon.
Teen girl gang-raped on moving bus in Noida
The incident took place on the night of August 4, when the Class 11 student, originally from Mainpuri in Uttar Pradesh, allegedly boarded a sleeper bus near Pari Chowk in Greater Noida after mistakenly getting off there while travelling to Noida Sector 63 to stay with a relative.
According to police, the girl had left home after being scolded by her mother and was travelling to her cousin's home. She mistakenly got off at Pari Chowk around 9 pm during heavy rain and realised that she was still around 25 km from her destination.
As she searched for transport, a bus stopped near her. The conductor allegedly told her that the bus was heading towards Sector 63 and offered to drop her there. Trusting him, she boarded the vehicle.
However, police said the bus was not operating its regular passenger service that night. According to investigators and the travel company, the vehicle had been taken to a workshop in Surajpur, Greater Noida, after developing a technical fault. The driver and conductor reportedly collected the bus from the workshop around 5 pm and began travelling around 9 pm.
After picking up the girl at Pari Chowk, the bus allegedly proceeded towards Kashmere Gate. The girl told police that the conductor made inappropriate advances towards her before he and the driver allegedly raped her while the bus was moving. She also alleged that the two men threatened to kill her when she resisted.
The bus travelled around 43 km from Greater Noida to Kashmere Gate, where the girl was allegedly abandoned. She then took an auto-rickshaw to the Kashmere Gate police station and reported the incident.
Two accused arrested
Delhi Police registered an FIR after the girl was medically examined, with the examination confirming rape.
Using CCTV footage, police traced the bus within hours and arrested the two accused from a parking lot in Timarpur, north Delhi. The accused have been identified as driver Kuldeep, 39, and conductor Sandeep, 26, both residents of Kanpur.
Police seized the bus and conducted potency tests on the accused. Investigators have also been examining the vehicle and its route for additional evidence.
How bus travelled from Greater Noida to Delhi unchecked
The bus reportedly travelled nearly 43 km from Pari Chowk to Kashmere Gate, passing through multiple locations equipped with CCTV cameras, police posts and barricades.
Investigators are examining the entire route to determine how the bus remained unchecked for such a long distance and whether it stopped at any location before the girl was abandoned.
The latest fingerprint evidence is expected to strengthen the prosecution's case, while investigators are awaiting the DNA report before completing the chargesheet.
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