India’s rights watchdog steps in over gang rape of 16-year-old on moving bus in Delhi’s satellite city

India’s National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on Tuesday took suo motu cognisance of the alleged gang rape of a 16-year-old girl in a moving bus that she boarded in Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh, on August 4, 2026.

Referring to a media report, the NHRC said that the alleged incident raises serious issues of human rights violations.

The Commission issued notices to the police commissioners of Delhi and Gautam Budh Nagar and the Mainpuri superintendent of police, calling for a detailed report on the matter within two weeks.

“The Commission has observed that the contents of the news report, if true, raise serious issues of human rights violations. Therefore, it has issued notices to the police commissioners of Delhi and Gautam Budh Nagar and Mainpuri superintendent of police, calling for a detailed report on the matter within two weeks,” the NHRC said.

The report, the Commission stated, is expected to include the status of the investigation and compensation, if any, paid to the victim.

According to reports, the minor victim had left home without informing anybody and was travelling to Noida Sector 63, where her cousin lives.

During her journey, she mistakenly got down at Greater Noida’s Pari Chowk at around 9pm, amid heavy rain. As soon as she realised that she was still about 25 kms away from her destination, the girl started looking for another transport when a private sleeper bus stopped nearby.

The conductor told her that they were headed towards Sector 63 and could drop her here. Trusting them, the girl boarded the bus.

However, police stated that the bus was not operating a regular passenger service on that day (August 4). It is being said that the vehicle had been taken to a workshop in Surajpur, Greater Noida, for repairs after developing a technical issue.

Once they picked up the girl near Pari Chowk, the two accused – bus driver Kuldeep, 39, and conductor Sandeep, 26 allegedly sexually assaulted her.

The accused abandoned the girl at Kashmere Gate, after which she boarded an auto and went to the police station.

This article originally appeared in The Statesman, an ANN partner of Dawn.