Bhumi Pednekar has reacted strongly to the alleged rape of a 16-year-old girl inside a moving sleeper bus in Delhi-NCR. The disturbing incident has once again put the spotlight on women’s safety and the security lapses on private buses, with the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) also stepping in.
What she said
Taking to her Instagram Stories on Monday, Bhumi reacted to the disturbing case and questioned how such incidents continue to happen despite repeated conversations around women’s safety. She wrote, “How can we see this happen again and again and again! Shame!”
Teen allegedly raped inside moving bus
According to Hindustan Times report, the driver and conductor of a sleeper bus have been arrested for allegedly gang-raping a 16-year-old girl from Uttar Pradesh after misleading her into boarding the vehicle in Greater Noida earlier this month, Delhi Police said on Monday. The two allegedly abandoned the teenager near Kashmere Gate after driving her across the Delhi-NCR region.
The case has also led to a jurisdictional dispute, with Uttar Pradesh Police alleging that Delhi Police failed to inform them about the incident even though the alleged assault took place within the Gautam Buddh Nagar Commissionerate area.
According to Delhi Police, the Class 11 student from Mainpuri had left home on August 3 without telling her parents after being reprimanded by her mother over her studies. She was on her way to her cousin’s home in Sector 63, Noida, Deputy Commissioner of Police (North) Niharika Bhatt said.
The teenager told police that she accidentally got off at Pari Chowk after it became dark and heavy rain began. While she was stranded there, she noticed a bus approaching and signalled the driver to stop. An officer familiar with the investigation said the conductor allegedly told her that the bus was going towards Sector 63, prompting her to get on.
Police said there were no other passengers on the bus at the time. Soon after the vehicle began moving, the conductor allegedly started behaving inappropriately towards the girl. The conductor and driver then allegedly sexually assaulted her inside the moving bus. When she resisted, the two men allegedly threatened to kill her, police said.
Two accused arrested within hours
After the complaint was filed, Delhi Police registered a case under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. The teenager was taken for a medical examination, which confirmed the assault.
Using CCTV footage and information gathered during the investigation, the police traced the bus to a parking lot in Timarpur, north Delhi. The vehicle has been seized and sent for forensic examination. The girl was later produced before the Child Welfare Committee and, as per its directions, was handed over to her father.
Bhumi Pednekar’s work front
On the work front, Bhumi Pednekar was last seen in Daldal, where she played DCP Rita Ferreira, a cop dealing with a troubled past while investigating a string of murders in Mumbai. The series is based on Vish Dhamija’s bestselling novel Bhendi Bazaar and is streaming on Amazon Prime Video.
Before Daldal, Bhumi featured in films such as Mere Husband Ki Biwi, Khel Khel Mein and Bhakshak.