Woman allegedly gang-raped inside moving bus in Delhi; two arrested

A 30-year-old woman was allegedly gang-raped by a driver and a conductor inside a moving sleeper bus in Outer Delhi’s Nangloi area, triggering widespread outrage and drawing comparisons to the 2012 Nirbhaya case that shook the nation.

According to Delhi Police, the incident took place around 12:30 am on 11 May when the woman, who works at a factory in Mangolpuri, was returning home to Pitampura.

As per the victim’s complaint, she had approached the conductor to ask for the time when he allegedly dragged her inside the bus. Police alleged that the driver, identified as Umesh, and his helper Ramendra sexually assaulted the woman inside the moving bus.

Officials said the bus continued moving for nearly two hours before the woman was allegedly thrown onto the road around 2 am. The accused then fled the scene.

Delhi Police registered an FIR at Nangloi Police Station based on the survivor’s complaint. Both accused, reportedly from Uttar Pradesh, have been arrested, and the bus used in the alleged crime has been seized.

DCP Outer Delhi Vikram Singh stated, “On the 12th, the police received a late-night call in which the caller reported that she had been sexually assaulted by two individuals. As soon as the matter came to the notice of the police, it was taken seriously, and the victim was provided police assistance and support. In this case, two named accused have been arrested, and the probe is ongoing and all possible angles are being examined.”

AAP leader Saurabh Bharadwaj accused authorities of attempting to suppress information about the case. “What kind of law and order situation is this, where a bus kept moving around a central Delhi area like Rani Bagh for two hours, during which a girl was gang-raped, and then she was thrown onto the road?” he asked. He further questioned why the incident was allegedly concealed for two days and demanded accountability from Delhi Police.

Former Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia in a post on X said, "Another Nirbhaya incident in Delhi! Girls are not safe in schools, not safe in buses!" 

This case has reignited painful memories of the 2012 Nirbhaya gang rape and murder, which had led to nationwide protests and major changes in India’s criminal laws related to sexual violence. Following news of the latest incident, many users on social media platform ‘X’ drew comparisons to the 2012 Delhi gang rape and murder case, expressing anger, fear, and frustration over women’s safety in the capital.