Noida: The sleeper bus in which a 17-year-old girl was allegedly raped on Aug 4 was registered on April 28 this year in the name of Firozabad resident Anil Jadaun and had an all-India permit, Noida assistant regional transport officer Udit Narayan Pandey said. The vehicle, however, was being operated by Vishwanath Tour and Travels out of a shop in Chhalera at Sector 44.On Aug 4, the teenager, who had boarded the sleeper bus (UP83ET3789) alone from Pari Chowk for Noida, was allegedly gang-raped by the conductor and driver in the moving vehicle for nearly 47 minutes before being dumped near Delhi’s Kashmere Gate.The minor, who belongs to Mainpuri, had taken a bus to meet her cousin in Noida allegedly after a fight with her mother earlier that day. She got off at Pari Chowk by mistake amid heavy rain and darkness and had signalled the empty bus passing through the area for help. According to police, the driver and conductor allegedly let her board and assaulted her as the bus travelled towards Delhi. Both men were arrested and the bus seized for forensic examination.
The vehicle, however, was being operated by Vishwanath Tour and Travels out of a shop in Chhalera at Sector 44
An employee of the travel company claimed the firm operated two buses, connecting Delhi primarily with smaller towns including Firozabad, Etawah, Auraiya and Hamirpur. When TOI visited the spot on Monday evening, the company’s board had already been pulled down, and several adjoining tour and travel businesses were also shut. Residents said the board had been removed earlier that morning after two of its staffers were arrested in the rape case.An advertisement put up by the operator online said it offered air-conditioned (AC) and non-AC sleeper coach services, with daily departures to towns across UP and Bundelkhand region, including Mahoba, Shrinagar, Chhatarpur, Lodhi, Chandla, Kabrai, Naugaon, Bharua, Banda, Hamirpur, Kurara, Kadaus, Jaitpur, Kalpi, Bhognipur, Auraiya, Etawah, Firozabad, Urai and Raath. It also listed two contact numbers — 8130871921 and 9266831916. But both remained out of reach on the day.Multiple such private sleeper buses offer connectivity between NCR cities and smaller UP towns, offering relatively cheaper, direct connectivity but leaving passengers with little information about vehicle ownership or the credentials of those operating it.The impounded vehicle had been sent for forensic analysis.
