Four-year-old raped by school van driver in Lucknow

Lucknow: In a shocking incident, a four-year-old girl was allegedly raped by the driver of her school van while taking her to the school in Lucknow.

The incident happened on Monday but it came to light on Friday after the parents approached the police and lodged a complaint in this regard.

Police sources said that the victim complained of pain in her private parts following which she was taken to a doctor. The doctor told her mother that there were injuries on her private part and that she had been sexually assaulted, sources said.

The mother of the victim said that she narrated the incident to the school management the same day but it did not take any action nor did they lodge any complaint with the police.

The driver of the van, identified as Mohammed Arif, allegedly threatened the mother of the victim with dire consequences if she approached the cops. The driver has been arrested.

The mother said that the victim was alone in the van when she was sexually assaulted. The driver had also allegedly beaten the victim and asked her not to say anything to her mother, sources said. He also told her mother that he would kidnap her daughter if she reported the incident to the police.

Police said that a case under the Prevention of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and other sections of the BNS was lodged against the driver. The manager of the school was also booked in the matter.

Police said that they were investigating if more children could have been sexually assaulted by the driver.