'Ramesh uncle gande hain'

MUMBAI: The four-year-old kindergarten student, who was sexually abused in her Juhuschool bus, has told police that the conductor similarly abused her on three to four previous occasions. Briefly narrating the instances whenbus conductor RameshRajput (35) molested her, the child told a lady police officer that "Rameshuncle gandehain".

On Tuesday, Rajput allegedly molested the girl in the bus when it was dropping KG students home from the Juhu school. Her mother noticed her injuries the next day and told her husband about it. The parents alerted the school and then filed a complaint at Juhu police station. Rajput has been arrested and remanded to police custody till February 1.

The victim told police that the accused had sexually abused her three to four times and that she had complained about it to the lady attendant, who scolded Rajput for his behaviour. The victim also told police that the accused was managing kids in the bus and driving it too. Later investigations revealed that while Rajput was the conductor, he knew driving and would take the wheel sometimes in the absence of the driver. Police said the child probably recollected details of all incidents together and told the police. "It is difficult for a four-year-old to recollect all details in proper sequence," said an officer. Police added that the victim's family is in trauma.

The police case is based on the girl's statement and the details her mother provided to the police. However, investigators said the lady attendant who was reportedly on the bus is repeatedly changing her statement. Police said there was confusion about the sequence of events as the lady bus attendant initially said the accused was not in the bus on the day of the incident. Later, she changed her statement and said she saw Rajput misbehaving with the victim and intervened to stop him. While she will be called again to record her statement, police will also record the school principal's statement in the case.