In a disturbing incident that sparked public outrage, police arrested Jasim Uddin Laskar, a bus driver from Panchgram in Hailakandi, and Abu Salem from Silchar on Wednesday in connection with the assault and attempted molestation of a woman on a moving bus in Badarpur, Assam.
The incident occurred on Tuesday evening when the victim boarded a bus at Badarpurghat. According to her statement, only the driver, a helper, and two male passengers were onboard. Feeling uneasy, she considered getting off, but one of the passengers allegedly grabbed her hand and urged her to stay.
Fearing danger, she activated her mobile location tracker and sent her live location to her family. One of the men allegedly attempted to molest her. When she resisted and sent her GPS location, she was violently pushed out of the moving vehicle.
She was found injured along NH-6 near Aurangabad, close to Sribhumi town, by local residents who informed the police and rushed her to Sribhumi Civil Hospital, where she is currently receiving treatment.
Sribhumi SP Partha Pratim Das stated that following a complaint, police investigated five buses, reviewed CCTV footage, and successfully identified the vehicle used in the crime. The bus has been seized, and two suspects arrested. A third suspect is still at large, but police say his arrest is imminent.
The assault triggered widespread protests in Sribhumi, led by locals and members of the Hindu Raksha Dal, who staged a road blockade at the ASTC point, disrupting traffic on the Sribhumi-Silchar national highway. The blockade was lifted on Wednesday after the arrests.
Authorities have assured that strict action will be taken, and further investigation is underway.
