Ludhiana, April 21
A local woman would have never thought that her night bus journey from Katra to Ludhiana would turn into a terrifying one. The driver allegedly attempted to rape her in the bus after giving control of the vehicle to the conductor.
The suffering of the woman and her 12-year-old son could have been more but for four PCR policemen and some persons waiting for night buses near the Clock Tower chowk. Riding two motorcycles, they chased the bus for nearly 2 km in the city and rescued her. Two journalists of vernacular dailies, who were having dinner outside the railway station, also chased the bus. Persons standing near the Clock Tower chowk saw the minor son crying for help by banging the window pane. They called the police which made the four policemen move into action.
But after being saved by the alert and responsive men in khaki, the badly bruised woman with torn clothes was then made to shuttle between different police stations over jurisdiction issues to handle the case. The bus was taken to the division No. 6 police station.
The police refused to take action, saying that the crime began in the jurisdiction of division No. 1 or 4 police station. No case was registered till this evening when she, supported by relatives, pressed for action. Eventually, senior officers directed the division No. 1 policemen to lodge an FIR.
Ashish Chowdhry,
SP City-I, said a case had been registered today against bus driver and owner Satnam Singh. The SP said the woman had not made any statement last night and made a formal complaint today.
The woman, a resident of Madhopuri here, was returning from Vaishno Devi. Her husband had died a few years ago. She said she had a tiff with the
