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Gujarat police have arrested a 56-year-old construction labour contractor for allegedly raping two minor sisters in Udhna. The case came to light following a "Good Touch, Bad Touch" awareness session at an ashram school in Maharashtra’s Nandurbar district, where the younger of the two girls disclosed the abuse. The incident occurred in May when the sisters, aged 11 and 14, were visiting their mother, who worked for the accused at a construction site in Udhna. The mother, a 39-year-old construction worker, was living in Udhna with the girls during their school vacation in Surat. According to police, the accused, identified as Piriya Valvi, allegedly raped the girls separately over a period of a few days while their mother was away at work. The victims were allegedly threatened with dire consequences if they spoke out. Following the vacation, the girls returned to their ashram school in Nandurbar, where the younger girl approached a female officer during a session on sexual safety and disclosed the abuse. She also reported experiencing abdominal pain. School authorities informed the mother, who traveled to Nandurbar and learned of the allegations from her daughter. The elder girl confirmed the claims, leading to the arrest of Valvi. Udhna police have conducted medical examinations of both girls and are awaiting results. Valvi, who is married and has two sons, resides in Udhna with his family. He is currently facing charges under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. Meanwhile, in Delhi-NCR, a 16-year-old girl from Uttar Pradesh was allegedly gang-raped inside a moving sleeper bus. The incident occurred on the night of August 4 when the girl, who had left her home in Mainpuri after a disagreement with her mother, mistakenly boarded a bus at Pari Chowk in Greater Noida. The bus, which was actually en route to Timarpur for repairs, was driven by Kuldeep and conducted by Sandeep, both from Kanpur. The conductor allegedly told the girl the bus was heading to Noida Sector 63, allowing her to board. As the bus moved, the conductor made inappropriate advances, and both men allegedly raped the girl. They threatened her with death if she resisted. The bus continued for approximately 47 kilometers before the girl was abandoned near Kashmere Gate. She later approached the police and reported the incident. Delhi Police registered a First Information Report (FIR) under the BNS and POCSO Act. CCTV footage played a crucial role in tracing the bus to a parking lot in Timarpur, where the suspects were arrested within four hours. The bus was seized and sent for forensic examination. The case has raised concerns about the safety of private buses operating in the region, especially for women traveling alone. The case has also triggered a jurisdictional dispute between the Uttar Pradesh and Delhi police. The Uttar Pradesh Police claimed they were not informed of the incident despite the crime occurring in their jurisdiction. Delhi Police, however, stated that crimes against women can be registered anywhere they are reported. The Delhi Joint Commissioner of Police, Madhur Verma, emphasized that the police acted professionally under the new provisions of the BNS. The victim, a Class 11 student, had left home without informing her parents after being scolded for her studies. She intended to visit her cousin in Noida Sector 63 but became stranded due to heavy rain and darkness. She signaled for help and boarded the bus, unaware it was not operating on a regular route. The bus, which had been repaired at a workshop in Surajpur, was being taken to Timarpur for further maintenance. The conductor and driver allegedly used the opportunity to commit the crime, exploiting the lack of oversight. The curtains covering the bus windows prevented visibility from outside, contributing to the isolation of the victim. The incident has drawn comparisons to the 2012 Nirbhaya case, highlighting ongoing challenges in ensuring the safety of women in public transportation. The Delhi Commission for Women has taken suo motu cognisance of the case and directed that the investigation be expedited. The case has also prompted calls for stricter enforcement of regulations regarding private bus operators, including proper verification of drivers and conductors. The bus involved in the case was registered in Firozabad but operated by a Noida-based travel company. Despite having valid permits, the lack of effective monitoring has raised questions about accountability. The police have collected CCTV footage from various locations along the route to reconstruct the bus’s movements and determine the exact sequence of events. The investigation continues as the legal process unfolds. In another recent case, a special court in Vadodara sentenced five men to life imprisonment for the gang rape of a 16-year-old girl during the Navratri festival in 2024 in Gujarat’s Bhayli area. The court also ordered compensation of ₹10 lakh for the victim and imposed a collective fine of ₹1 lakh on the convicts. The prosecution had sought the death penalty, but the defense argued that the convicts, who were married and had families, should receive lesser sentences. The court rejected this argument, emphasizing the severity of the crime. The incident occurred on the second night of Navratri when the girl, returning from a garba event with a friend, was intercepted by five men on motorcycles. They allegedly took the keys of her two-wheeler, threatened to inform her family, and subjected her to sexual assault. The prosecution relied on CCTV footage, medical evidence, and witness testimonies to secure the conviction. The five convicts, who reside in the Tandalja area and work as laborers, were convicted on August 20. The gang rape in Delhi has also sparked public outrage and criticism of the police response. Political figures, including the founder of the Cockroach Janta Party, Abhijeet Dipke, have criticized the Delhi Police for allegedly disappearing during the crime and only showing up to "assault young kids." His comments followed reports of the incident, which highlighted systemic failures in protecting vulnerable individuals. The police have maintained that they acted swiftly upon receiving the complaint, arresting the suspects within hours and seizing the bus for forensic analysis. The victim, whose identity has been withheld for privacy reasons, has been handed over to her parents by the Child Welfare Committee. The case underscores the urgent need for better coordination between law enforcement agencies and stronger measures to prevent such crimes in the future.