Man assaulted in bus, bleeds to death in Delhi; one held

The man was dumped by the side of the road in Bawana, where he bled to death, police officers aware of the case said.

A 22-year-old man was beaten and sexually assaulted inside a moving bus in north and northwest Delhi, before he was dumped by the side of the road in Bawana, where he bled to death, police officers aware of the case said.

Police said the incident took place on February 1. (PTI Photo/Representational)

Officers said the bus driver — police identified him only by his first name of Ashish — and his friends Sushant Sharma, 24, and another unidentified person assaulted the deceased.

Police said the incident took place on February 1. Sharma, a resident of Karala, was arrested on Saturday, said deputy commissioner of police (outer north) Nidhin Valsan.

Police said the deceased, a resident of Narela, and worked as a cook in weddings and functions. On February 1, they said, he and a friend had gone to Sultanpur Dabas to work at a wedding.

“After work, they took some leftover food and boarded a bus to come back home. Three men including the driver were present in the bus. When they were about to reach Bawana Chowk, the victim spilled some food in the bus. This angered the driver,” an officer probing the case said.

Police said Ashish and his associates then proceeded to beat up the 22-year-old, and at Bawana Chowk, allowed the friend to deboard the bus, but then did not allow the 22-year-old get off.

On February 2, police were informed about a man lying unresponsive near the Bawana flyover. He was taken to a hospital where he was declared dead.

Separately, police said, a man had filed a missing person’s complaint for his brother, who never returned from work on February 1 — a probe later revealed that the missing person was the 22-year-old.

Police then reached out to the 22-year-old’s friend, who told them about the assault on the bus.

Based on the friend’s staement, police identified and arrested Sharma.

Sharma shared the sequence of events during the interrogation. “Inside the bus, they started abusing and thrashing the man. The driver -- Ashu alias Ashish (police identified him with single name)-- who is currently absconding -- took out a rod and shoved it inside the passenger. He asked his accomplice to drive while he continued the assault for about 15 minutes, until the man became unconscious. They drove 7km before throwing him outside the bus near Bawana flyover,” the officer quoted above said.

His post mortem was conducted at the Baba Saheb Ambedkar Hospital, where the doctors told police that the deceased had injuries to his genitals. A case on charges of murder was registered and investigation was taken up. Police said efforts are underway to catch the other two accused.