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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Monica Yadav is a senior entertainment journalist with Hindustan Times Entertainment, based in Mumbai, with nearly 11 years of experience covering Bollywood, Hollywood and Asian entertainment, including Korean, Chinese and Thai cinema, television and music. She is among the few Indian journalists in India with a dedicated focus on Korean entertainment, including K-pop and K-dramas, and has interviewed some of the industry's biggest stars while closely tracking the rise of global pop culture. Her reporting has also taken her beyond India, where she has covered travel, culture and entertainment. Alongside her work at Hindustan Times, her bylines have appeared in several international publications. Known for her in-depth interviews, feature stories and engaging storytelling, Monica enjoys exploring the human side of entertainment. From breaking news and long-form features to music coverage, explainers and on-camera conversations with artists, she is passionate about telling stories that connect with audiences across the world.Read More
