Mohammed Afroz, also referred to in some court documents and media reports as "Raju", was born around mid-1995 and grew up in Badaun, a rural and underdeveloped district in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. Publicly available details about his upbringing are limited due to Indian juvenile protection laws, but several media sources describe him as having come from a poor family, receiving minimal formal education, and migrating to Delhi at a young age in search of work.

In Delhi, Afroz found work in the informal sector, like many underage migrants from rural India. He reportedly worked cleaning buses and later assisting drivers in various jobs, including the private charter bus involved in the Nirbhaya case. His exact role with the bus company remains vague, but according to police and court records, he was well acquainted with the other accused and was considered the youngest in the group.

Despite his young age, Afroz was described by prosecutors and social workers as highly involved in street culture, with reports suggesting that he had begun to engage in petty crimes and drinking with older men.

On the night of 16 December 2012, Jyoti Singh, a 22-year-old physiotherapy intern, and her friend Avnindra Pratap Pandey boarded what appeared to be a regular chartered bus at around 8:30 PM in Munirka, South Delhi, after watching a movie at the Select Citywalk mall in Saket. They were unaware that the vehicle had been hijacked by a group of six men, including Mohammed Afroz, who had been drinking and joyriding around the city earlier that evening.

As the bus drove through the city, the six men taunted the couple, accused them of being out late together, and launched a sudden and violent attack. Avnindra was beaten unconscious with a metal rod. Jyoti was dragged to the back of the bus, where each of the six men, including the juvenile, took turns raping her. What made the assault especially horrifying was the level of violence, she was penetrated with a metal rod, which tore her intestines and caused massive internal injuries. This violent act was attributed in large part to the juvenile, Afroz, who wielded the iron rod with particular brutality, according to testimony from other convicts and medical reports.

After the assault, the two victims were stripped and thrown out of the moving bus, left for dead on the roadside. A passerby called emergency services, and the couple was rushed to Safdarjung Hospital in Delhi. Jyoti's injuries were so severe that a portion of her intestines had to be surgically removed. Despite several surgeries, her condition worsened. On 26 December 2012, the Indian government arranged for her transfer to Mount Elizabeth Hospital in Singapore, where she died on 29 December 2012.

The police response was swift. With the help of CCTV footage, bus route analysis, and tips from locals, all six suspects were arrested within a few days. Mohammed Afroz was caught at Anand Vihar bus terminal on 17 December 2012 while attempting to flee Delhi. During interrogation, he confessed and reportedly showed no remorse for his actions.

Due to his age, Afroz was tried separately from the adult accused. On 31 August 2013, the Juvenile Justice Board found him guilty of rape and murder. He received the maximum sentence allowed under the Juvenile Justice Act, three years in a reform home, including time already served. His sentence ended in December 2015. The Indian public reacted with anger and grief, many calling for the law to be changed so that juveniles committing violent crimes could be tried as adults.

While Afroz completed his sentence and was released into the care of a non-profit, his identity remains protected, and his current location is undisclosed. Some reports claim he works as a cook under a new identity, while others say he may have been relocated for his safety.

The other five adult men were tried in a fast-track court and received death sentences. One, Ram Singh, died in Tihar Jail under suspicious circumstances in March 2013, officially ruled a suicide. The remaining four were hanged on 20 March 2020 at Tihar Jail, after years of appeals and stays of execution.