A horrific incident has occurred in Lucknow, the capital of Uttar Pradesh, in which a four-year-old girl was allegedly raped by a school van driver. The act is said to have been committed while the child was being driven to school in Indiranagar. The shocking incident came to light after the young girl, after returning home, communicated the ordeal to her mother through gestures, leaving her family devastated.
According to the Aaj Tak report, the accused, Mohammad Arif, was working in a well-known school as a driver for its van service. While transporting the girl alone, he is said to have committed the assault. When the mother of the girl found injuries on her daughter, she took her to a doctor immediately, and the assault was medically verified. She then went to the school with her complaint, but received no interest. The school administration, fearing damage to its reputation, refused to take concrete action and did not suspend the accused driver. Instead, the driver threatened the mother and uttered abusive words, menacingly telling her that serious consequences would follow if she reported the incident.
Receiving no help from the school, the mother went to the Indiranagar police station and lodged a complaint against Mohammad Arif and school manager Sandeep Kumar. On the FIR, the police arrested the accused driver immediately, according to the report.
Senior police officers, including DCP East Zone Shashank Singh, confirmed that the arrest was made and the investigation is underway. The authorities assured that firm action would be taken. UP Minister Sanjay Nishad also condemned the crime and demanded exemplary punishment in order to scare away potential criminals. He stressed the importance of fast-tracking such cases.
