Private school van driver arrested for molesting 13-year-old in Indirapuram

Police said the Class 8 student cried for help and raised an alarm after which some locals came up to her aid. Some of them helped her reach home while the others nabbed the driver.

A 32-year-old man was arrested on Tuesday for allegedly molesting a Class 8 student in a private van engaged to drop children to a school at Indirapuram in Ghaziabad.

The accused was later arrested by police and identified as Anil Kumar Nishad who lives in Old Seelampur area of Delhi. ((For representation only))

The father of the 13-year-old victim had lodged an FIR against the driver following which the accused was arrested. “She was dropped to school around 8am but she was not feeling well. She tried to go inside the school to make a call but the driver brought her back to the van and offered to drop her home. He stopped the van at an isolated spot and molested her,” the father of the 13-year-old said in his complaint.

The driver allegedly took the van to an isolated area near Amrapali Village high rise. The police said he touched the victim inappropriately before she managed to come out of the van. “The driver threatened her of dire consequences if she narrated the incident to police or to her parents,” the complaint said.

The police said the victim cried for help and raised an alarm after which some locals came up to her aid. Some of them helped her reach home while the others nabbed the driver.

The accused was later arrested by police and identified as Anil Kumar Nishad who lives in Old Seelampur area of Delhi. The police said the 13-year-old was one of the five schoolchildren whose parents had engaged the van.

“We have arrested him and produced him before a Ghaziabad court. We booked him for criminal intimidation, molestation and also levied provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act. During questioning, he admitted to his involvement and was arrested,” said SC Dubey, station house officer, Indirapuram police station.

“We will also check up if he had all the relevant documents for operating the van. Proper action will be taken,” he added. The police said that the girl was a state of shock and they will take her statement once she recovers.

The accused is from Banda district and is the father of two children, including a minor girl.