Chandigarh: Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal on Monday announced that Pooja and Aarti — who beat up molesters in a bus on Sunday — would be honoured with cash awards on the occasion of Republic Day.
On the other hand, two of the three molesters, who had apparently cleared the physical test for the Army, will be barred from joining, said Army sources. Even defence minister Manohar Parrikar has asked for a report on the matter.
Apart from taking the decision to honour the girls for resisting the molesters bravely, the state government has directed the director general of police and the transport department to ensure safety and security of passengers.
Meanwhile, the driver and conductor of the bus were suspended by the state government on Monday for failing to stop the molestation.
The two youths had participated in the Army recruitment rally at Jhajjhar in Haryana recently. Army sources said the two alleged molesters would not be allowed to write the written exam.
Sources said the matter was brought to the notice of Army chief Gen. Dalbir Singh Suhag late on Sunday night after videos of the alleged molesters on the bus shocked the nation.
Villagers claim charges against accused false
Three youths, who allegedly molested two girls on a moving bus, have been remanded in judicial custody by a local court.
The three youths —Kuldeep, Mohit and Deepak — will remain in the remand till December 6.
However, the residents of Kansla village from where the three accused hail have served an ultimatum on the district administration to release the three boys within 24 hours.
The residents have alleged that a false FIR has been registered with the police against the three, which should be quashed.
The residents said that the three boys have been “falsely implicated”. They even claimed that it was not a case of alleged molestation, but a dispute over seats.
The seats were allotted to the boys from where the trouble started, they claimed.
