The Commissionerate police, after conducting medical examination of a rape accused bus helper, on Tuesday forwarded him to court, from where the 25-year-old youth was remanded to judicial custody.
The tribal youth, identified as Susanta Hembram, was arrested by the city police on Monday for allegedly raping a tribal girl in a running bus. The girl, a native of Mayurbhanj district, was travelling to Cuttack by a private bus on Sunday night. The girl works as a domestic help in Jagatpur on the outskirts of the city.
Basing on the complaints of the girl, city DCP S Praveen Kumar said Susanta allegedly raped the girl in the rear seat of the bus between 3 am and 3.30 am when there were only a few other passengers who all were asleep. Susanta is believed to be an acquaintance of the victim and he reportedly threatened the girl of dire consequences if she dared to disclose about the incident to anyone.
The incident came to light when the girl was rescued by some people at Gatirautpatna, about 5 km from Cuttack, on the Cuttack-Jagatsinghpur road on Monday. The Chauliaganj police of the city then brought the girl to police station where she bare her plight alleging that instead of dropping her at Jagatpur, Susanta took her to the Badambadi bus terminus in Cuttack. From Badambadi, instead of boarding a Jagatpur-bound bus she boarded a Jagatsinghpur-bound bus.
The Mahila police station of the city, after registering a case, also sent the victim for medical examination. A police scientific team is assisting the city police in investigating the case.
Meanwhile, the Private Bus Owners’ Association condemning the incident has demanded that stringent punishment be given to the bus helper and urged the bus owners to ensure that the credentials of the persons are verified properly before they are recruited to perform duties in the buses plying during night.
Similarly, State Transport Commissioner Surendra Kumar on Tuesday informed that the permit of the passenger bus in which the crime was committed has been cancelled. “It is one of the primary duties of the bus staff to ensure that the passengers boarding the buses travel safely and reach their destinations unharmed,” Kumar said.