The Moga Bus molestation incident took place on the evening of Wednesday April 29, 2015 on a highway connecting Moga and Bathinda cities of Punjab. A woman, her son and her 13 year old daughter were travelling via Bus to meet their relatives at a nearby village. The bus was scarcely occupied.
The Bus involved in Moga molestation incident
During the course of time, the Assistant Conductor of the Bus reportedly misbehaved with the woman. While not much details is known, reports say that she and her daughter were molested and harassed. When she complained this to the Bus Conductor and Driver, they refused to help her and rather sided with their colleague. She asked them to stop the bus, but they didnot agree to it either.
To escape this, she jumped from the running bus, but got injured after falling down. Some reports even say that she was thrown off the Bus. Some locals, who saw her injured, took her to nearby hospital where the daughter died, while mother is battling for her life. The bus involved in the incident was owned by Orbit Aviation, a company of the family of Punjab Deputy CM Sukhbir Singh Badal and CM Prakash Singh Badal.
By Friday, the police had arrested four persons, including the bus driver, conductor and helper. However, the shattered family of the victim of the Moga Bus Incident has demanded justice and stringent punishment for the culprits. Victim’s Uncle said that they are not getting due justice. Meanwhile, Locals protested outside civil hospital and demanded justice from the Punjab government.
Political leaders have condemned this incident. Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said that it is a matter concerning state government and it should take the necessary action. AAP leader Bhagwant Mann said that the owner of ‘Orbit’ bus service should be held responsible. BSP Chief Mayawati said that as the bus service is owned by the government officials themselves, the matter should be investigated by the central agencies. Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee President Pratap Singh Bajwa said that the owner should be charged with murder case and the High Court should take the case suo moto.
Partap Singh Bajwa said, “If the owner of the bus in infamous Delhi rape and murder case could be made accountable for the crime committed in the bus owned by him then why not the same rule be applicable against Sukhbir Badal.”
Social Activist Jagmati Sangwan said that strict action should be taken not only against the accused but also the passengers who did not come to help the woman. DCW Chairperson Barkha Shukla Singh said that justice process should be quickened and a feeling of safety should be induced in women. Social Activist Abha Singh said that action should also be taken against the owner of the bus service Deputy CM of Punjab as he cannot wipe off his responsibility in the issue. A teenage girl and her mother were forced to jump off a bus to escape molesters, after which the girl died and the woman got seriously injured.
On Friday Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal finally admitted that the bus service was run by his company.
Meanwhile, the family of December 16 Gangrape victim, empathized with the victim’s mother of the Moga incident. Nirbhaya’s mother said that she can understand the mother’s pain and that she has been in this pain since three years.
Some Protestors in Delhi stood outside the home of SAD leader and MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal on Fridat to seek the resignation of the Punjab CM and Deputy CM. Harismrat is the wife of Deputy Chief Minister of Punjab Sukhbir Badal. The protestors want a thorough probe into the incident of molestation which led to the death of a young girl in Moga, Punjab on Wednesday.
On Friday the family of victim, refused to cremate her till the administration fulfilled their demands for compensation and cancellation of the transport firm’s permit. Their demands also include Rs 50 lakh compensation, employment to one member of the family and free treatment to the injured.