Authorities in Bhopal have demolished the illegal house of a school bus driver in the Shahpura area after he was arrested for allegedly raping a three-and-half-year-old nursery student of a private school inside the bus.
According to the First Information Report (FIR) filed by the parents, the three-and-a half-year-old child was returning home from school in the bus when the incident took place.
After the girl returned home, her mother enquired why the child’s clothes had been changed to the spare set kept in her bag. On pressing further, the child revealed that the “bus uncle” changed the dress and that he “touched her badly” on her lips, face, chest and private parts.
The nursery school student was allegedly raped by the driver inside the bus in the presence of a woman helper who also tried to cover up the crime. Both the accused were arrested.
The incident came to light when the student’s mother saw marks on her body and asked her what happened. Once the survivor told her mother about the incident, the family approached the school management and informed the police.
When the parents went to the school the next day, the child identified the bus driver. Despite the school bus being equipped with a CCTV camera, the leading private school said that footage of the day was not available.
Meanwhile, state home minister Narottam Mishra alleged that the school management tried to cover up the matter.
“The role of the school administration will also be investigated. People from the school management will be questioned. I also believe the school management tried to cover up the matter,” he said.
The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) has written to the Bhopal district collector and sought a detailed report into the incident within the next three days, while the school education department has constituted a three-member probe panel to investigate the matter.
