25-year-old MP tribal woman gang-raped on-board bus

The accused have been identified as Kamal Singh (driver) and Pankaj Kumar (cleaner) and have been booked under Section 376 (D) (gang rape) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). The conductor of the bus, Gangaram, is absconding, police added.

Published on: Mar 12, 2022, 23:33:15 IST

By Shruti Tomar, Bhopal

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The driver and cleaner of a private transport bus were arrested on charges of gang-raping a 25-year-old tribal woman in the Manawar area of Dhar district, police said on Saturday.

The woman cried for help when some locals heard her voice and rushed to help her. They nabbed the driver while two others fled the spot. (File/Representative use)

The accused have been identified as Kamal Singh (driver) and Pankaj Kumar (cleaner) and have been booked under Section 376 (D) (gang rape) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). The conductor of the bus, Gangaram, is absconding, police added.

“On Friday, the woman boarded the bus from Kukshi to go to her village, but the driver didn’t stop the bus near her village. The woman scolded them. Co-passengers also asked why they didn’t stop the bus. The driver said they didn’t pay attention. After all the passengers de-boarded the bus, the accused took her to a secluded place where they raped her,” said Neeraj Birthare, town inspector, Manawar police station.

The woman cried for help when some locals heard her voice and rushed to help her. They nabbed the driver while two others fled the spot. The cleaner was arrested later in the afternoon, the town inspector added.

Dhar Superintendent of police Aditya Pratap Singh said, “The woman’s condition is stable. After medical, she left with her family. Police are trying to nab the third accused.”

“We are also verifying details whether the private bus owner has done police verification of driver, cleaner and conductor,” he added.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Shruti Tomar
I have spent over a decade chronicling Madhya Pradesh’s political and social landscape, covering politics, investigative journalism, crime, human interest, and government policy, blending sharp insight with ground‑level depth. I have closely tracked three assembly elections, three Lok Sabha elections, leadership transitions in MP while exposing governance lapses, tender irregularities, and flawed policy rollouts. My reports have revealed gaps in the Cheetah project, irregularities in medical education, rigging in recruitment exams, and loopholes in policy implementation. In crime reporting, I have moved beyond FIRs to map systemic patterns — from organised crime networks and gender‑based violence to custodial accountability — balancing urgency with sensitivity. My journalism is defined by a commitment to human interest. I have profiled the marginalised Bancchda community, documented atrocities against tribal groups, and highlighted efforts to preserve their culture through heritage liquor and revival of spiritual practices. I have reported on farmers struggling with failed MSP promises, giving voice to those often reduced to statistics in policy files. Passionate about field reporting, I have reported on rampant sand mining in Chambal and Narmada, pharmaceutical companies supplying medicines under altered names, the dire condition of schools and colleges, the plight of commercial sex workers, and skewed sex ratios in specific districts. Beyond deadlines, and as HT’s state correspondent and assistant editor in Madhya Pradesh, I engage with ministers, farmers, students, and activists, believing the best policy stories begin with a single human voice. A postgraduate in Journalism and Mass Communication, I also hold a diploma in sports journalism.Read More