A 43-km journey from Pari Chowk in Greater Noida to Kashmere Gate in North Delhi - the route allegedly taken by a private sleeper bus in which a 16-year-old girl was gang-raped - has raised serious questions over surveillance and security on the road connecting Greater Noida and Delhi.
The girl boarded the bus at Pari Chowk on the night of August 4, believing she would be dropped at Noida Sector 63. She was allegedly raped by the driver and conductor in the moving bus and later abandoned near Kashmere Gate.
NDTV travelled the same 43-km route from Pari Chowk to Kashmere Gate to take first-hand stock of security and surveillance arrangements along the way.
Pari Chowk: Police Booth, PCR Van, Barricading
Just about 20 steps from Pari Chowk, the first police checkpoint. At the spot, we found a police booth, a PCR van and heavy barricading along the roadside. This is significant because Pari Chowk is the point from where the minor allegedly boarded the bus. The police infrastructure was clearly visible at this point.
Barricading at Pari Chowk
Delhi-Noida Border Near Mayur Vihar
There was barricading, but no police personnel during daytime check.
Moving towards the Delhi-Noida intersection near Mayur Vihar, which is one of the busiest stretches on the route, the NDTV team saw heavy barricading along the roadside. However, during our daytime ground check, there were no police personnel present at the spot. Generally, they are present at night.
No checks at Delhi-Noida border during day
Another gap was visible at the traffic signals. CCTV cameras were missing from the traffic signals at this intersection. We captured this on camera during the ground check.
It is important to clarify that our visit was conducted during the day and therefore the absence of police personnel at this point cannot by itself establish whether personnel were deployed there on the night of August 4.
However, the absence of visible CCTV cameras at such a busy intersection raises questions about the extent of continuous surveillance available on this route.
No CCTV cameras at border signals
Kashmere Gate: No Visible Checkpoint Or Barricading
As we reached Kashmere Gate, the destination point of the bus and the final stop of our ground check, we found no visible barricading or checkpoint. This was the final point on the 43-km stretch that we covered.
What NDTV Found Across 43 kms
From Pari Chowk to Kashmere Gate, NDTV covered the entire route, stopping at major points to check police checkpoints, barricading and surveillance arrangements. We found only two checkpoints on the entire 43-km stretch.
Police Mapping The Bus Route
Delhi Police investigators are also mapping the same route to reconstruct the movement of the bus.
According to officials, investigators are checking police checkpoints, barricading and CCTV cameras along the route and examining available footage to determine where the bus travelled and whether it was captured by surveillance cameras.
The bus had reportedly been taken to a workshop in Surajpur, Greater Noida, after developing a technical problem and was later being driven towards Kashmere Gate for painting.
The driver, Kuldeep, 39, and conductor, Sandeep, 26, were arrested from a parking lot in Timarpur within hours after the FIR was registered at Kashmere Gate police station.
Police have seized the bus and are conducting a forensic examination. Investigators have also found strands of the girl's hair inside the vehicle.
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