Moga bus molestation case: Victim's family continues sit-in against Badals

Moga (Punjab), May 3: The family of a teenaged girl, who was molested and pushed to death from a moving bus here, continued to stage a sit-in along with local politicians to press for filing of a case against Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal, who co-owns the Orbit bus service, leading to a deadlock that has delayed her cremation.

The family has refused to perform the girl's final rites till the bus owners are booked in the four-day-old incident and licence of the bus service cancelled.

The family along with Sangharsh Committee, comprising local leaders of various political parties and social organisations, continued to sit outside the civil hospital while the body of girl was lying in mortuary at Singhawala village here.

"The protest is going on in front of civil hospital," Sangharsh Committee member Balwant Makhoo said today.

A senior police official today said, "There is no development in this matter so far."

The victim girl's father Sukhdev Singh has stuck to his demand for registration of a case against Sukhbir Badal and others, who own the bus service.

District Administration has ruled out the possibility of registration of case against bus owners, saying it was not legally possible.

The victim's father has also demanded cancellation of road permits of Orbit Aviation before the last rites can be performed.

Police has said this matter could not be compared with Uber case in Delhi in which a passenger was allegedly raped by a cab driver.

"In Uber case, taxi was operating without route permit and without permission from any competent authority. In orbit case, there is no such complaint," police told media yesterday.

District administration had last night tried to persuade the family members to allow the cremation of girl whose body has been lying in the mortuary, said Makhoo.

PTI