An incident of violence against a 16-year-old Dalit girl has come to light from Uttar Pradesh's Lakhimpur Kheri. The minor was brutally beaten on a moving bus by miscreants after she protested against their harassment. When the bus driver and conductor tried to intervene, they too were assaulted by the perpetrators.
A video of the incident has gone viral on social media, showing the perpetrators slapping the victim and pulling her by her hair.
According to reports, the incident occurred in the Padhua police station area of Nighaasan. What's particularly shocking is that approximately 50 passengers on the bus reportedly watched the assault without intervening to help the victim. One passenger recorded the entire incident, and the video has since gone viral on social media.
Bus driver Saleem told Hindi newspaper Dainik Bhaskar that he was driving from Dehradun to Lakhimpur when the incident occurred. "There was a girl sitting on the bus who was traveling to Lakhimpur. Some boys on the bus were harassing her. When she informed me about this, I tried to reason with the boys, but they started arguing and physically assaulting me," Saleem said.
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Saleem stated that he stopped the bus at Padhua police station and filed a complaint against the youths. However, he claims that instead of taking action, the police merely counseled them and sent them away. The driver has also accused the miscreants of robbing him of Rs. 25,500.
The Uttar Pradesh Congress shared the video of the incident on social media and criticised the government. In an X post, UP Congress said, "In Lakhimpur Kheri, miscreants harassed a Dalit minor girl on a moving bus, and when she protested, they beat her mercilessly. The miscreants were so emboldened that they didn't spare the driver and conductor who came to intervene and beat them badly too." Attacking UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, the post further said, "Under Baba ji's rule, criminals protected by power tarnish the honor of our sisters and daughters every day, but how dare Baba ji acknowledge his failure. Such a government deserves only condemnation!"
The Lakhimpur Kheri Police have since issued a statement saying that a case has been registered at Padhua police station under appropriate sections. They further stated that the named accused have been arrested and charged, and legal proceedings are underway.
