Three youths, who allegedly molested two girls on a moving bus, have been remanded in judicial custody by a local court. The three youths -- Kuldeep, Mohit and Deepak – were arrested on Sunday night and remanded in judicial custody until December 6.
Meanwhile, residents of Kansla village from where the three accused hail have served an ultimatum on the district administration to release the three boys within 24 hours. The residents have alleged that a false first information report has been registered against the three which should be quashed.
The families of the three, along with villagers and the village Panchayat went to the District Administrative Complex to meet the deputy commissioner and superintendent of Police, but the two officers were not present in their offices.
The residents told mediapersons that the three boys have been ‘falsely implicated’. They claimed that it was not a case of alleged molestation but a dispute over seats. The seats had been allotted to the three boys, they claimed.
The Haryana government also announced the suspension of the bus driver and conductor of the bus in which two sisters took on three alleged molesters on Monday.
The director general of Haryana transport department has ordered the suspension of bus driver Balwan Singh and conductor Labh Singh of bus with registration no-HR 69 6150 with immediate effect, an official order issued in this regard said.
The state has also decided to honour the sisters for their bravery. The girls will be given cash awards on the occasion of Republic Day.
Both the girls had shown indomitable courage and bravery by opposing the misdemeanour of three youth who tried to molest them in a moving bus of Haryana Roadways at Rohtak, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar said in a statement, adding effective steps will be taken to ensure security of women passengers.
Taking serious note of this incident, the Haryana government has also asked the transport department to take steps for ensuring safety and security of passengers especially women travelling in the Haryana roadways buses.
The bus drivers and conductors have also been directed to make sure that such incidents do not occur in future, it said.
The two college-going sisters had confronted the three men inside a moving bus, with one of the girls even hitting the youths with her belt, even as passengers remained mute spectators.
The entire incident, recorded by a passenger on mobile phone, went viral both on television and social media. It showed the two girls using hand and belt to thrash the eve teasers, who appeared to be taken by surprise.
“All the girls should do what these sisters did. They did well. But it is sad that none of the other passengers came to their help. The society has to change its mindset and people should stop being mere onlookers when such incidents take place,” Union Minister Uma Bharti said, reacting to the incident that has triggered spontaneous indignation.
“What the girls wear, does not matter. People should come together and ensure that women are respected and their dignity is maintained,” she said.
National Commission for Women chairperson Lalitha Kumarmangalam too praised the girls.
“I would like to congratulate the girls and ask the authorities to take appropriate action. Few girls have the guts to take on the molesters. The government should take action. I would appeal to every Indian to come forward,” she said.
The parents of the two girls lodged an FIR with the Haryana police against the three youths informing that the molesters got down at the Kansla village in Rohtak.
The victims in their complaint alleged that they were teased by some youths in a Haryana Roadways bus when they were going to their college on Friday. When the victims objected, one of the accused started beating them up.
The father of the two sisters alleged that there was pressure from the panchayat that the girls should withdraw the complaint.
