Delhi Police say they have found strong new evidence in the case of a 16-year-old girl who was allegedly gang-raped inside a moving sleeper bus. Sources told reporters on Wednesday that fingerprints of the girl and the two accused men were found on the bus. The accused are the bus driver, Kuldeep, and the conductor, Sandeep. Police have also taken away the clothes both men were wearing that day so they can be checked in a forensic lab.
Forensic teams have collected samples from the bus seats and the steering wheel. A DNA report is expected soon.
Police say this evidence will help them understand exactly what happened on the bus and will support the girl’s statement about the attack.
The girl had taken a lift on the bus near Pari Chowk in Greater Noida on August 4. Police say she was alone with the driver and conductor when the assault took place inside the empty vehicle.
In her complaint, she said the two men attacked her and threatened to kill her if she tried to fight back. Afterwards, they left her near Kashmere Gate in Delhi.
Police arrested Kuldeep and Sandeep from a parking area in Timarpur on August 4, the same day as the incident. Officers first shared details of the case publicly on August 31. Both men remain in custody.
The bus itself has been seized and sent for forensic testing. Police have also gathered CCTV footage from along the bus’s route that day. They are studying this footage closely to work out exactly where the bus travelled and to confirm the timeline of events described by the girl.
Investigators say they are close to finishing their work on the case. A charge sheet — the formal document listing the charges against the accused — is expected to be filed in court soon.
On Tuesday, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) took notice of the case on its own, without waiting for a formal complaint. This is called “suo motu” action. The NHRC said that if the news reports are true, they show a serious violation of human rights.
The commission has sent official notices to three senior police officials: the Police Commissioner of Delhi, the Police Commissioner of Gautam Buddha Nagar, and the Superintendent of Police in Mainpuri. The NHRC has asked all three to send a detailed report on the case within two weeks.
