23-yr-old gangraped inside Delhi bus, thrown out

A 23-year-old paramedic student was gangraped and tortured inside a chartered bus as it was driven around for more than an hour through one of the busiest stretches of south Delhi on Sunday night. She was later thrown out with her badly beaten friend, a 28-year-old who works as a software engineer with HCL. Police said they had boarded the bus for her home after watching a movie at a multiplex. They were found in semi-nude condition.

On Monday, the woman was battling for life at the ICU of Safdarjung hospital where doctors, horrified by the nature of her injuries and the brutality of the assault, described her case as "probably the most grievous" they have ever handled.

As the incident sparked outrage in the Capital, police launched a manhunt after coming under fire. Late Monday night, DCP (South) Chhaya Sharma said the driver of the bus, Ram Singh, had been arrested. Another officer said Singh's brother Mukesh had also been held.

Five other persons have been identified and the bus seized. Singh's brother was driving the bus at the time of the incident, police said. Among the seven, one is an attendant at the Siri Fort sports complex, another a vegetable vendor.

According to police, it appeared that the men in the bus had been partying and were heavily drunk.

The white-coloured bus, which belongs to Yadav travel service and has tinted windows and curtains, was found parked in R K Puram Sector III. It is used, among other things, to transport students of two schools in Delhi and Noida.

Special Commissioner of Police (Law and Order) Dharmendra Kumar said: "The bus has been seized. The CFSL team is conducting an examination."

Police said the woman, who hails from Dehradun and lives in Uttam Nagar, was on her way home after watching a movie with her friend at the Select Citywalk mall in Saket. They attended an evening show after which her friend decided to drop her home. They took an auto-rickshaw to Munirka on the Outer Ring Road and were waiting there when the bus pulled up at 9.15 pm and a man called out for commuters headed to Dwarka and Palam.

... contd.

ALSO READ

India, China end stand off, withdraw troops from Daulat Beg Oldie sector

Sonia Gandhi consults A K Antony on Pawan Bansal issue

Coalgate probe: No accused or suspect let off, says CBI chief Ranjit Sinha

Sajjan Kumar acquittal: Sikh protesters march towards PM's residence