Teenaged girl gang raped inside bus in Salem, three arrested

A 15-year-old girl was allegedly gang raped in a bus at Narayanampalayam in Salem district on Monday. Three people, including the conductor and two bus drivers have been arrested in the case and remanded to Salem Central prison.

The New Indian Express reports that the 15-year-old girl had an argument with her parents and went to Salem Old Bus Stand and took a private bus to Narayanampalayam near Omalur. She travelled in the bus throughout the day.

When the bus conductor, Perumal, (22) - a resident of Muthampatti, asked the girl why she was not getting down, the girl told him about the quarrel with her parents. After this, Perumal and bus drivers, Manivannan, (33) and Murugan, (35), began misbehaving with her and raped her.

The girl managed to escape and ran to a nearby village and informed the villagers about the incident. The villagers attacked the three men and handed them over to the police.

The girl has been admitted to hospital for a medical test.

Police said that the girl used to often travel in the same bus to school and had become friends with the conductor. After the quarrel with her parents, she had gone to meet the conductor but there was another conductor that day.

A case had been registered at the Omalur police station under various sections including POCSO Act. 

Salem district SP P Rajan said that as the girl is a Dalit, an additional case has been booked against two accused as they belonged to the MBC category. "She will be given a compensation of 4.12 lakh based on SCST prevention of Atrocities Act," he added.