Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke has questioned the Delhi Police and the government over the alleged gang-rape of a 16-year-old girl inside a moving sleeper bus, raising concerns over women’s safety in the national capital.
In a video shared on August 31, Dipke drew a comparison between the police deployment during protests and the alleged lack of intervention in cases involving crimes against women.
Dipke questioned the purpose of deploying large numbers of police and Rapid Action Force (RAF) personnel during protests, alleging that authorities use force against students but fail to provide adequate protection when women face serious crimes.
He said the latest incident involving the Class 11 student could have potentially been prevented and described it as a failure of the police and the government.
“When there are protests, you deploy thousands of police and RAF personnel. But what happens when there is an actual crime?” Dipke questioned, alleging that law enforcement’s aggressive tactics are largely seen during demonstrations.
He also questioned why measures such as tear gas, batons and other crowd-control equipment are not matched by equally strong efforts to protect women from criminals.
16-year-old allegedly gang-raped inside sleeper bus
The comments came after a 16-year-old Class 11 student was allegedly gang-raped inside a sleeper bus in Delhi’s Kashmere Gate area.
According to a Times of India report, the incident took place on the night of August 4. The teenager was travelling from Uttar Pradesh to meet her cousin in Noida when she mistakenly got off at Pari Chowk amid heavy rain.
The girl reportedly saw an empty sleeper bus and sought help. The driver, identified as Kuldeep, and conductor Sandeep allegedly offered to give her a ride. Once she boarded the bus, the two men allegedly gang-raped her, threatened her and later abandoned her near Kashmere Gate.
The terrified teenager subsequently approached the Kashmere Gate police and reported the incident.
Police arrested both accused from a bus parking area in Timarpur and seized the sleeper bus allegedly used in the crime. The vehicle has been sent for forensic examination, while further investigation is underway.
The accused reportedly told police during questioning that they believed they would not be caught if they abandoned the girl in Delhi, according to the Times of India report.
‘Girls still don’t feel safe in Delhi’
Addressing the broader issue of women’s safety, Dipke said the incident was not an isolated concern and argued that many women continue to feel unsafe in Delhi.
He said he had heard from female friends about their concerns regarding safety in the city and questioned when the Delhi Police and government would take stronger measures to make women feel secure.
Dipke also alleged that police action against young protesters, including girls, stands in stark contrast to the response to crimes against women.
He questioned why authorities were willing to use batons and other crowd-control measures against students protesting for their rights but, in his view, appeared less effective in preventing crimes against women.
He further criticised the government over what he described as a continued failure to make women feel safe in the national capital.
Case brings back memories of Nirbhaya
The alleged incident has also evoked memories of the 2012 Delhi gang-rape and murder, widely known as the Nirbhaya case.
In December 2012, a 22-year-old physiotherapy intern and her male friend boarded an off-duty private bus after watching a movie. Six men, including the bus driver, were inside the vehicle.
The woman was brutally assaulted and gang-raped inside the moving bus, while her male friend was severely beaten. The two were subsequently thrown from the moving vehicle.
The case sparked nationwide outrage and protests, leading to widespread debate over women’s safety, policing and the criminal justice system.
More than a decade later, the alleged gang-rape of another teenage girl inside a bus in Delhi has once again raised questions over the safety of women and girls travelling in the national capital.
