A mother’s desperate attempt to flee from molesters results in tragedy.
By Dileep Thekkethil
BENGALURU: The death of a 13-year old girl who jumped off a moving bus along with her mother to avoid sexual assault in Moga district of Punjab, has triggered a public outcry in India, triggering afresh memories of the Nirbhaya incident, the infamous gang rape and death of a student in Delhi, on a moving bus in December, 2012.
In the Moga incident, the Orbit Aviation bus is owned by the family of Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal. It was bought on lease by another company and the police is currently scrutinizing all the documents connected with the ownership of the bus.
Badal, who expressed his shock after the incident on Wednesday, was quoted as saying, “I am aggrieved over this incident. It is unfortunate that bus belongs to us. Whatever happened is not good and it is like Himalayan blunder. It is the biggest sin.”
The union home ministry has asked for a detailed report of the incident from the Punjab government. Badal confirmed that the police have nabbed two culprits and a few others are still on the run, but he expressed hope of booking them soon. The two who were arrested have been charged under section 203.
Badal said, “I will issue instructions to the concerned authorities to ensure that such an incident does not take place in future.”
Union minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi of the BJP was quoted by The Times of India, saying, “This incident is unfortunate and we extend our sympathy to the family of the victim. But such incidents are a subject of state’s law and order. There is a tradition of not discussing such issues of state matter in the Parliament. But if the opposition wants to discuss this issue, we welcome it.”
Union Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal who is also the daughter-in-law of Punjab Chief Minister condemned the incident and said that an inquiry into the company that owned the bus will be initiated soon.
She said, “I will check who owns the bus. I read about the incident only in the papers this morning. I strongly condemn what happened. The trend of violence against women in the country must be addressed earnestly.”
The incident happened when a 35-year-old woman along with her 13 year-old daughter and 14 year-old son took a bus to meet her relatives in a nearby village. According to police officials, the assistant bus conductor started to sexually assault the woman as the bus reached a toll plaza, 10 KM away from the city of Moga.
The bus had very few passengers, who did not step forward to help the woman. When the woman reported the incident to the conductor, he allegedly took sides with his co-worker, instead of helping her. As a last resort the woman went seeking help of the driver and asked him to stop the vehicle but he ignored her request and accelerated the bus.
This prompted the woman to jump from the vehicle along with her teenage daughter. Both conductors and the driver fled the scene as the 14 year-old boy was left alone in the bus.
Both the injured mother and daughter were taken to the Moga civil hospital where the teenager succumbed to her injuries. The emergency medical officer Mukesh Kumar has confirmed that the mother is out of danger.