Moga, Punjab, April 30: A teenage girl died while her mother sustained serious injuries after they were allegedly molested and thrown off a moving bus near here.
The conductor and cleaner of the bus, reportedly belonging to a company owned by Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal’s family, were Thursday arrested by the police in connection with the horrific incident that occurred Wednesday evening close to Gill village, 10 km from here on Moga-Kotkapura road.
The injured woman in her statement said she and her 16-year-old daughter were allegedly molested and harassed by the conductor, cleaner and one more unidentified person on the bus, according to Moga’s SP (detective) HS Pannu.
“They were later thrown out of the bus by the accused,” he said. Police had earlier said the two had jumped off the bus to escape the molesters.
Badal said the incident was “very unfortunate” and promised swift action against the guilty even as he insisted he “never took interest” in the company’s affairs and had “never visited its office”.
Pannu said the bus has been impounded and a case has been registered under Sections 302 (murder), 307 (attempt to murder), 354 (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty), 34 (common intention) of the IPC.
“The bus conductor Sukhwinder and cleaner Gurdeep have been arrested. We are trying to nab the third accused in the case,” Moga SSP Jatinder Singh Khaira said.
“The bus driver stopped the vehicle on one side of the road when he came to know what had happened. Initially, he feared that he may be thrashed by the public, but later on he cooperated with the investigations. He is not on our list of accused,” Pannu said.
Pannu said the woman, her daughter and son were travelling in the near empty bus from Moga to Bhagapurana. He said the helper of the bus started molesting the mother and continued to ignore her repeated pleas to let her go. Joined by other accused, the three allegedly did not spare her daughter and molested her as well.
The 10-year-old son remained seated in the bus and was later handed over to the family by the police. PTI