In Uttar Pradesh’s Lakhimpur Kheri, a 16-year-old Dalit girl was brutally assaulted on a moving bus after she protested against harassment by a group of men. The incident occurred in the Padhua police station area of Nighasan, and a video showing the assault has since gone viral on social media.
The video shows the girl being slapped repeatedly and pulled by her hair as dozens of fellow passengers reportedly looked on without intervening. When the bus driver Saleem and conductor attempted to help, they too were beaten by the miscreants.
“There was a girl on the bus going to Lakhimpur. Some boys were harassing her. When she told me, I tried to stop them, but they started arguing and hit me,” said Saleem, the bus driver, in a statement to Dainik Bhaskar. He further alleged that the attackers also robbed him of ₹25,500.
Despite Saleem stopping the bus and lodging a complaint at Padhua police station, he claimed that the police only counseled the accused and let them go without immediate action.
The incident drew widespread outrage after Uttar Pradesh Congress shared the video on social media, accusing the Yogi Adityanath government of failing to protect women and emboldening criminals.
“Under Baba ji’s rule, criminals protected by power tarnish the honor of our sisters and daughters every day,” UP Congress posted on X.
Following the backlash, the Lakhimpur Kheri Police released a statement saying that a case has been registered and the named accused have been arrested.
“A case under appropriate sections has been filed. The named accused have been arrested and challaned. Further legal proceedings are underway,” the police said in a post.
