A 16-year-old girl from Uttar Pradesh was allegedly gang-raped inside a moving sleeper bus after she boarded the vehicle seeking help during heavy rain in Greater Noida, police said on Monday.

The incident took place on the night of August 4, when the Class 11 student from Mainpuri was travelling to Noida to meet her cousin. Police said she had left home without informing her family after being reprimanded by her mother over her studies.

According to her complaint, the teenager mistakenly got down at Pari Chowk in Greater Noida amid heavy rain and darkness. She later realised that she was still some distance away from her intended destination in Noida Sector 63.

While looking for transport, she reportedly signalled an approaching sleeper bus to stop. The bus was empty at the time. Police said the driver and conductor told her that they were travelling towards Noida Sector 63 and could drop her there.

The girl then boarded the bus.

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According to the survivor’s complaint, shortly after the bus began moving, the conductor allegedly started behaving inappropriately towards her. She alleged that both the driver and conductor subsequently sexually assaulted her inside the moving vehicle and threatened to kill her if she resisted.

Police said the bus was not operating as a regular passenger service at the time. It had earlier been taken to a workshop in Surajpur, Greater Noida, for repairs and was being driven back towards Delhi.

The vehicle travelled from the Greater Noida area towards Delhi before the teenager was allegedly abandoned near Ring Road in the Kashmere Gate area. She subsequently approached the police and reported the alleged assault.

The two accused have been identified as driver Kuldeep and conductor Sandeep. Delhi Police arrested both men from a parking area in Timarpur, north Delhi, on August 4, according to police.

The accused have been booked in connection with allegations of gang rape, kidnapping and assault. Police have seized the bus and sent it for forensic examination.

Investigators are also examining CCTV footage from different points along the route taken by the bus to reconstruct its movements and establish the sequence of events.

Police said the sleeper bus had curtains covering its berths, potentially restricting visibility from outside. During the forensic examination, investigators recovered strands of the girl’s hair from inside the vehicle, which have been preserved as part of the investigation.

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Police and the travel company have said the bus had been taken to a workshop in Surajpur after developing a technical problem. After repairs, it was reportedly being taken back towards Kashmere Gate.

Reports citing the travel company said the two accused had been working with Vishwanath Travels for more than two years. Investigators are examining their backgrounds and verifying whether they have any previous criminal records.

The police are also examining the bus route, CCTV recordings and forensic evidence as part of the investigation.

After the girl approached the police, she underwent the necessary medical examination. Female police personnel remained with her while authorities contacted her family.

A child welfare committee subsequently handed her over to her parents.