The Dehradun Bus Stand G**g R**e: A 15-Year-Old Girl’s Nightmare

Part One: The Fateful Night

August 12, 2024, late at night. Almost everyone had left the bus stand in Dehradun, the capital of Uttarakhand. Very few passengers remained—those whose buses were scheduled to depart during the night.

Among those waiting for their bus was a young girl. She appeared very distressed, but no one among the people present asked her what was wrong.

Then, suddenly, the guard on duty at the bus stand noticed the girl. As he moved a little closer to her, he found her behavior somewhat strange. She seemed uncomfortable—constantly adjusting her clothes and looking around fearfully. She appeared extremely agitated.

The guard also noticed that a man was wandering around in the direction where the girl kept looking. She kept glancing at that same man and seemed very uncomfortable.

The guard began to feel that something was definitely wrong. Perhaps this man was harassing the girl. She appeared to be around 15-16 years old, and her mental state didn’t seem stable.

Before the guard could ask her anything, the girl asked him about buses to Patiala, Punjab. If she hadn’t asked the guard about the bus, and if she had gotten a bus to Patiala at that time, perhaps this incident would have remained just a secret.

However, the guard, concerned about her condition, immediately called the Child Helpline number 1098 and reported that a minor girl was standing on platform number 12 at the Dehradun ISBT, and her condition seemed strange.

Part Two: The Rescue

Upon receiving the information, the Child Welfare team reached the bus stand, and soon police also arrived. They began questioning the guard about the girl.

The guard told them everything about the condition in which he had seen the girl. When police approached the girl, they also felt that something was wrong. It seemed someone among the people wandering around was harassing her.

When the police and Child Welfare Committee members tried to talk to her, the girl became very frightened. She clutched her bag and started trembling at the sight of so many men.

The police immediately understood that she was afraid of men. The male officers stepped back, and only a female police officer remained with her.

The lady police officer tried to talk to her, asking where she was from and where she wanted to go. The girl said she wanted to go to Patiala, Punjab.

When the officer asked if she had come alone or with someone, the girl gave vague answers despite repeated questioning. Still, the police understood that she was in serious trouble.

They took her to the police station, where she said she was very hungry. She was given food and water, and when she relaxed a little, the lady officer tried again to talk to her. But the girl was still too traumatized to speak.

Part Three: The Confession

The next day, her treatment began, as the police felt she was in depression. After two days of treatment, the female officer approached her again.

This time, the girl revealed that she had been subjected to a “dirty act.” The police officer immediately understood that the child had been assaulted.

When asked where this happened, the girl tried to explain but started crying uncontrollably. The officer consoled her, telling her not to be afraid and that everything would be okay.

The next day, during further questioning, the girl revealed that several people had committed the heinous act together—she had been gang-raped.

Police then learned that the assault had occurred at the Dehradun bus stand itself. Since it was a bus stand, there were CCTV cameras.

Police began their investigation at the bus stand. Upon checking the CCTV footage, they noticed several people moving around the girl. Gradually, the crowd thinned, and when the girl was left alone, a man was seen lingering near her, repeatedly looking at her.

When police showed the footage to the girl, she immediately identified the man, started crying, and confirmed that he was one of the perpetrators, but there were others as well.

Police extracted the man’s photo from the footage and returned to the bus stand. When shown to the workers there, most recognized him. After learning his name and address, police arrested him.

Part Four: The Shocking Revelation

Upon interrogation, the man initially tried to mislead the police. But when questioned strictly, he revealed a story that will make your blood boil.

On August 12, 2024, around 4 PM, a girl was standing at Delhi’s Kashmiri Gate bus station, asking people which bus she should take to Patiala, Punjab. Because thousands of buses go to different cities, she was confused.

She asked a bus driver, who told her not to worry and to board a bus that was ready to leave for Dehradun. The girl was told she didn’t need to pay the fare—the driver would tell her when her stop came.

The bus departed and reached Dehradun bus stand around 10:30 PM, the last stop. As passengers got off, the girl was left alone.

Part Five: The Brutal Attack

The conductor and driver of that bus approached the girl, telling her that Patiala was nearby but she would need to catch another bus. The driver said the Patiala bus would leave later, so she could spend time with them until then.

The conductor and driver then took the girl, who was around 15 years old, to the back seat of the bus. They started touching her body, harassing her, and slowly removed her clothes, committing the heinous act with her.

The conductor and driver took turns raping the girl. She was screaming, but no one came to help.

Another bus, traveling from Rishikesh to Delhi, was parked right beside them. When the girl’s screams reached that bus, the two drivers there also came after some time. They saw the girl in a terrible state and the conductor and driver assaulting her.

Instead of helping, they said they would also do the same to her. The first two agreed, saying, “Do whatever you want.”

Part Six: The Night of Horror

For about two hours, the four men took turns raping the girl. Then the conductor, who had brought her from Delhi, said he had to deposit ticket money with the cashier. He left.

The three drivers continued assaulting the girl. At the cashier’s office, the cashier noticed the conductor arriving 2-2.5 hours late. When questioned, the conductor admitted there was a girl in his bus and invited the cashier to join.

The cashier went to the bus and saw the two drivers assaulting the girl. They told him, “First let the sir do it, then we will.” The cashier also assaulted the girl.

Thus, five men—the conductor, two bus drivers, two bus drivers from the Rishikesh-Delhi bus, and the cashier—all took turns raping the girl.

When she tried to scream, they threatened her, saying, “If you want to go to Patiala, you must do this.”

Part Seven: The Escape

The girl eventually managed to escape or was let go. She reached platform number 12, waiting for another bus. A man was making Maggi nearby.

The guard noticed a suspicious man—the conductor—wandering around the girl, trying to get close to her. The conductor was afraid the girl might tell someone, so he wanted to move her away.

But the guard wisely called 1098. The Child Welfare Committee and police arrived. Based on CCTV footage, police arrested the conductor first. Based on his statement, four more men were arrested.

The five accused were:

Dharmendra Kumar (32) – from Banjara village, Haridwar

Devendra (52) – from Bhagwanpur, Haridwar

Ravi Kumar – from Nawabganj village, Farrukhabad, Uttar Pradesh

Rajpal (57) – from Banjara village, Haridwar

Rajesh Kumar – from Patel Nagar, Dehradun

Police filed an FIR on August 17, 2024, under the new BNS Act and the POCSO Act.

Part Eight: The Victim’s Identity

Investigations revealed the girl was not from Patiala, Punjab, but from a village in the Murdapara police station area of Moradabad district, Uttar Pradesh.

Her parents were alive, and she had a brother who worked as a laborer in Rampur. When asked, the girl had initially claimed her parents were dead. Police contacted her family, and they came to Dehradun, but the girl refused to go with them.

The girl’s parents had mental health issues and were already very troubled about their daughter. She had left home 12 days earlier. She had left before but had always been found quickly. This time, they couldn’t find her.

The girl is currently undergoing treatment and counseling at a girls’ shelter. Police suspect more than five people may have been involved. The case will be tried in a fast-track court to ensure the accused receive the strictest punishment.

Conclusion

This horrific incident raises many questions. Just days after the Kolkata doctor case shook the nation, a similar crime occurred in Dehradun. It seems these criminals have no fear of the law.

Two of the accused were over 50 years old. Did they never think that the girl could be their daughter’s or granddaughter’s age as they brutalized her all night?

The police have arrested the accused and are determined to ensure strict punishment. But the trauma this girl has endured will stay with her for life.

This incident serves as a reminder of the darkness that exists in our society and the urgent need for change. We must protect our children and ensure justice for victims.

THE END