3 girls harassed on Punjab buses in separate incidents

Even as the blame-game over the death of a girl after being pushed from a moving bus, continues, at least two other cases of alleged harassment of girls, including one in a vehicle allegedly belonging to an Akali leader, have come to light.
In the first incident, two minor sisters aged 13 and 15 years were allegedly harassed by the conductor of a private bus said to be owned by an Akali leader in Muktsar district, their father said in a complaint to police last night.
The girls hailing from Kotli Sangar village in Muktsar district had come to the tehsil office here to get their Aadhaar cards made.

When they were on their way back on Wednesday evening, a conductor of a private bus allegedly started harassing them. They were asked to disembark from the vehicle at Kotkapura chowk after they confronted the conductor, their father said in his complaint.
On being contacted, Muktsar Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Kuldeep Singh Chahal today said that he had received a complaint in this regard and as per the guidelines of the Supreme Court, a case had been registered in this connection.
He, however, said that an investigation was under progress for necessary action.

Meanwhile, Punjab Students Union (PSU) activists staged demonstrations at Kotli Sangar village demanding action against the conductor and the bus owner.

In another incident, a 23-year old girl was allegedly harassed by a Phagwara-based college student Sumeet Kumar (21) in a private bus at Laddowal in Ludhiana district on Wednesday, police said.
Police have arrested the student on the basis of a complaint filed by the girl, who was on her way to Jalandhar for family work.
Recently, in the backdrop of the incident where a girl was molested and pushed to death from a moving bus last month, the Punjab government had constituted a five-member committee to give recommendations for ensuring safety of women passengers in public transport across the state.

The committee which was set up by Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal has to assess the ground realities for suggesting ways and means to ensure the safety of the passengers, especially women and has been asked to submit its report within a month.