LUDHIANA, Oct 19: A Srinagar-bound passenger bus was allegedly attacked with stones near Doraha in Punjab’s Ludhiana district late Sunday night, leaving its windowpanes shattered but passengers unharmed. The incident occurred less than 24 hours after a similar attack on a Kashmir-bound bus in Haryana’s Karnal district injured two people.
The latest attack took place around 11 pm on October 18 when unidentified persons allegedly pelted a private sleeper bus with stones while passengers, including women and children, were asleep inside.
Bus driver Ishfaq Ahmad, who works for Star World Ventures, said the attack frightened the passengers, although no one was injured.
Ahmad said the police were approached following the incident, after which Punjab Police personnel escorted the bus for several kilometres. The vehicle subsequently resumed its journey towards Srinagar.
The motive behind the Punjab attack and the identities of those responsible were not immediately known. There was no immediate confirmation of any arrests.
The incident comes a day after a Srinagar-bound bus was allegedly attacked with stones and bricks near a roadside eatery in Nilokheri, Haryana’s Karnal district, on Saturday night. An elderly passenger and a dhaba employee sustained injuries in that incident.
The driver of the Haryana bus alleged that the attackers objected to the vehicle’s Jammu and Kashmir registration number and used the word “terrorist” while confronting him. However, Haryana Police said the incident stemmed from a parking dispute between the bus occupants and two men travelling in a car.
Police said the argument escalated before stones and bricks were thrown at the bus. Two men were arrested in connection with the incident, and an investigation was underway.
The Karnal attack prompted Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah to seek action from the Haryana government and urge authorities to prevent a recurrence. Political leaders in J&K also condemned the incident, with some alleging a possible hate crime, while police maintained that preliminary findings pointed to a roadside dispute.
The fresh attack in Punjab has raised further concerns over the safety of Kashmir-bound passengers travelling through northern India, even as the circumstances surrounding the latest incident remain unclear. (Agencies)