Forensics place two arrested men inside Noida bus; onboard CCTV was not working, police say

Police have collected fingerprints and DNA samples from a sleeper bus in connection with the alleged sexual assault of a 17-year-old who boarded it near Pari Chowk, Noida, on August 4.

The survivor had sought a lift after leaving home following a fight and was travelling towards her cousin’s home in Sector 63, police said. Investigators allege that the conductor, Sandeep, assaulted her near Bakhtawarpur village in the Sector 127-128 area, after which the driver, Kuldeep, allegedly assaulted her while the bus was moving.

Police said the two men were arrested from Timarpur within hours and the bus was seized. The survivor reported the matter at Kashmere Gate bus stand, where police said she was dropped after the bus travelled about 26 km.

The bus had thick curtains on its windows and its CCTV system was not functional at the time, police said. Investigators are examining its digital video recorder to establish when it last recorded footage. They have also collected video from locations along the route, including Surajpur, where the bus had been taken for repairs.

Police said the bus had 11 pending traffic challans totalling ₹54,000. Delhi Traffic Police is checking buses at interstate terminals and verifying drivers’ identity documents and other records.