NEW DELHI: DNA evidence, including semen and hair strands, found on clothes and bus seats turned out to be a major clue that helped cops link the bus driver and conductor to the gang rape of a 16-year-old girl inside a private sleeper bus on Aug 4.Delhi Police filed a chargesheet against bus driver Kuldeep (39) and conductor Sandeep (26), both from Kanpur, under Pocso Act, including Section 6, and relevant provisions of BNS relating to wrongful confinement and kidnapping.The 398-page chargesheet was filed on Sept 18, and a city court took cognisance of the case on Sept 24, sources said. The chargesheet names 50 witnesses and was filed within 48 days of the incident.The investigation also found that the bus had 11 pending traffic challans. Its CCTV camera was non-functional, while heavy curtains covered the windows, potentially restricting visibility inside the vehicle.According to the prosecution, the two men had been hired to work on the bus without proper verification. These findings emerged as part of the investigation.Bus gang rape: Accused diverted vehicle, dropped girl on Ring RoadThe DNA samples of the accused matched the samples collected during the forensic examination, making it one of the major pieces of evidence linking them to the crime. The sample was also found in her body,” a source said.The Class XI student from Mainpuri district in UP had left home on the night of Aug 4. She then set out for Noida to meet her cousin. According to the chargesheet, she was waiting for a bus when the accused spotted her and allegedly told her that they were also headed to Noida.The chargesheet states that instead of following the designated route, the accused diverted the bus and allegedly raped the girl inside the moving bus en route to Bakhtawarpur village.The minor subsequently approached Kashmere Gate police station.After the alleged assault, the bus driver and conductor dropped her on Ring Road. With the help of CCTV footage, police traced the bus and arrested both accused within a few hours.
