A bus marshal saved a four-year-old girl from the clutches of a kidnaper in a Cluster bus, earning praise from the Delhi Government which promised to reward him for his exemplary service. Later on the child was united with her parents.
Arun Kumar, 24, a marshal deployed in the bus on route 728, saved the child from a 17-year-old boy who had allegedly kidnapped the child from Nizamuddin Railway station. The boy had boarded the bus at Palam flyover around 11 am on Wednesday. Kumar said he became suspicious of the boy’s credentials after he found that the girl was weeping bitterly.
The marshal questioned the boy and his answers only aroused his suspicion of him being a kidnapper. With the help of the bus conductor, the driver and other passengers, he overpowered the accused and took him to the police station.
“Realising that something was amiss as the girl was crying, I alerted the bus driver and also informed conductor Virendra. The driver closed both the bus doors to stop the kidnapper from fleeing. The driver then took the bus to Dhaula Kuan police station,” said the bus marshal, whose act was praised by Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.
“My salute to bus marshal Arun Kumar. People like you are pride of Delhi. Our 13,000 bus marshals are providing security to lakhs of passengers. People are having faith in the safety inside the buses,” Kejriwal tweeted in Hindi.
Gahlot said a missing complaint was also registered on the same day by the toddler’s parents at Nizamuddi Police station. “Bus marshals have been deployed by the Delhi Government in both the shifts across all the buses across the city. We have often been asked questions about the need to appoint bus marshals, and our motive behind appointing the bus marshals has been fulfilled”, the Transport Minister said.
Also, Gahlot said the number of pick pocketing and eve-teasing cases in DTC buses have decreased significantly during past 20 days, ever since marshals were deployed. “We have also come across incidents where the bus marshals have caught pick-pockets during their duties. Such incidents have gradually decreased on the routes infamous for pick pocketing and public nuisances,” said Gahlot.
According to the transport department, around 20 pick pockets have been caught by the marshals deployed in the bus. The marshals have also recovered purse, mobile phones and cash from the pick pockets. Such incidents have been largely observed in North and north east Delhi such as Dariyaganj, Timarpur, Zakir Hussain College Nizamuddin Railway Station and Azadpur.
Earlier, marshals have also re-united a child with his parents who was lost in Badarpur Border. Currently there are about 5,000 bus marshals deployed in the Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) and cluster buses. However, the Government’s target is to deploy 13,000 bus marshals.
Kejrwal and Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia also applauded the marshal.
“I am proud of the bus marshal Arun and conductor Virendra for saving a child from the kidnapper. Both will be honoured by Delhi Government. Within three weeks of deploying the bus marshals, have caught ten pickpocketers in cluster buses. I also salute the passengers who came forward and helped in rescuing the girl and set an example of a true Indian,” said the CM.