School bus driver sexually abuses 3-year-old in Navi Mumbai, arrested

A three-year-old girl was allegedly sexually assaulted by the 30-year-old driver of her school bus in Navi Mumbai, police said. The accused was later arrested following the family's complaint.

The incident took place in the Kamothe area, police said, news agency PTI reported. According to the police, the accused used to drive a private bus that ferried students from a local kindergarten and primary school.

The incident reportedly took place at around 12.30 pm on Wednesday when the driver was dropping children off at their homes. The 3-year-old girl was the last one to be dropped off and after all the students had gotten down at their respective stops, she was left alone in the bus. The driver then allegedly sexually assaulted her, the police was quoted as saying.

How the incident came to light

When the child reached home, she complained of abdominal pain and told her grandmother about the abuse, following which the family immediately informed the school management and lodged a police complaint.

A case was registered under the sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita concerning rape of a child under 12 years of age, as well as the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, the official said.

The driver was subsequently arrested and presented in a court in Panvel on Thursday, which remanded him in police custody till Saturday, he added.

Delhi minor sexually abused by school bus driver

On Monday, a similar incident was reported from outer Delhi's Bawana area where a driver of a school bus was arrested for the alleged sexual assault of a three-year-old girl studying in a private school.

According to the police, the girl is a nursery class student. The accused, identified as Vikas Singh, allegedly lured her with chocolates and sexually assaulted her near the school washroom on multiple occasions.

The matter came to light last week after the minor girl narrated her ordeal to her mother. The girl confided in her mother about a man who inappropriately touched and assaulted her, police said.

"However, the girl didn't know the man's name. The parents went to the school, and the school administration showed them photos of the staff and CCTV footage from the school. She then identified the driver," said a senior police officer.

On August 24, the parents and the school identified the accused and a complaint was filed by the parents at the Bawana police station. Police said a first information report (FIR) was lodged under sections of sexual harassment, assault and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.

According to the police probe, the accused had been driving a cab for the school for around eight months.