Lucknow: In a shocking incident that took place in Luchnow’s Indira Nagar, a four-year-old girl was raped by a school van driver, Mohammad Arif earlier this week. On Monday, as the girl was traveling to school in a van, she was sexually assaulted. She confided in her mother afterward, who promptly reported the matter to the school officials. “My child complained of pain in her private parts. When I checked, I found she had an injury. I informed the principal, who said she would address the matter. Later, the doctor confirmed that what my child described had happened and that something had been inserted in her private parts,” said the mother of the four-year-old.
However, the management failed to take any action. Arif also allegedly threatened the mother, warning that er daughter would “disappear” if a complaint was filed.
“I waited for two days but no action was taken by the school and the driver called again to pick the child for school. When we confronted him, he harassed us in front of the school and made casteist remarks. We were threatened with abduction, even the school also asked us not to complain,” the girl’s mother added. (Agencies)
On Thursday, the mother filed an official complaint against Mohammad Arif and the school manager, Sandeep Kumar, at the Indira Nagar police station. Following the complaint, police arrested Arif and sent him to judicial custody. The school van involved in the incident has been seized.
Authorities confirmed that the girl was alone in the van at the time of the assault. The mother said her daughter described the incident through gestures. A medical examination further confirmed the injuries sustained by the girl. Police also reported that Arif had beaten and threatened the child when she resisted.
DCP East Zone Shashank Singh said, “A complaint was registered in Indira Nagar police station on July 17th that the 4-year-old daughter of the complainant was subjected to misdeed by her school van driver Mohammad Arif… A case has been registered under the relevant sections and two teams have been deployed to review the incident. The driver has been arrested.”
Uttar Pradesh Minister Sanjay Nishad condemned the incident and demanded strict punishment to prevent such crimes. “We strongly condemn the incident. Strict action will be taken against the accused to ensure justice. The case must be fast-tracked to deter such crimes,” the minister said.
