Despite child abuse incident in 2020, illegally parked private buses continue to threaten residents

The horrific incident of a four-year-old girl being abducted and sexually assaulted in an illegally parked luxury bus in Bhayandar in 2020 has left law enforcement agencies stumped.

The incident, reported in December 2020, had triggered a massive outcry among local residents against the illegally parked privately owned luxury buses on the road adjacent to Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Stadium in Bhayandar (West). Buses parked in the illegal parking area near a sprawling slum area have become a safe haven for anti-social elements.

After keeping a vigil for a short period to ensure that no buses are parked illegally on the road, the same situation still prevails as dozens of buses are lined up on the road. It is alleged that buses of private transport companies from across the state are being turned into safe havens for drunks and junkies who consume alcohol and drugs there – especially at night as the authorities turn a blind eye to illegal parking and anti-social activities, allegedly in exchange for bribes.

The bloody incident of rape, kidnapping and attempted murder of the minor girl in 2020 is proof of the allegations. The girl was playing with her friends in the parked bus. However, all other children except the girl had apparently got off the bus, suggesting that the driver is behind her mysterious disappearance.

The police arrested the driver, who confessed to sexually assaulting the girl in the bus and attempting to strangle her. He stuffed the unconscious girl into a sack and dumped her at a remote location in Vasai's Vaaliv area. The girl was lucky to survive the murder attempts.