The driver and the conductor of a Delhi bus were arrested on Friday, allegedly raping a 30-year-old woman inside their vehicle.
The accused has now given a very different account of the event that occurred on the bus.
According to a report by the Times of India, the accused, Umesh and Ramendra, who are originally from Agra and Hathras, claimed that the incident was a “money dispute” rather than a sexual assault.
Police say that the claim is under investigation.
Both the accused have now been sent to judicial custody after being produced before the court.
The victim's statement was also recorded in court.
Police are now examining the sequence of events.
The woman, a mother of two, lives with her family in a slum cluster on the outskirts of Delhi. She said she was returning home around 12:15 a.m. after meeting her brother. She was heading to Madhuba Chowk and reached near Saraswati Vihar bus stand. From there, she boarded the vehicle, which had three men inside.
After one of the men left the two other reportedly drove to a secluded area 7 kilometres from where the victim was picked up. She alleged that the men sexually assaulted her.
The men have both been driving in Delhi for about 5 to 6 years. Police are now examining the sequence of events and CCTV footage. They are also tracing the route of the bus and the background of the accused. The vehicle has also been seized for forensic examination, and evidence has been collected.
The National Commission of Women has written to the Delhi Police chief seeking a detailed action taken Report within seven days.
