A Delhi-to-Srinagar passenger bus was attacked with stones near Doraha in Punjab's Khanna on Sunday night, barely a day after another bus belonging to the same transport company was targeted in Haryana's Karnal district, police said on Monday.
The incident occurred when the bus was passing through Doraha on the busy GT Road. A stone thrown from the roadside smashed a windowpane, triggering panic among passengers. However, no injuries were reported.
Police rushed to the spot after receiving information about the attack and escorted the bus safely out of Khanna. The vehicle subsequently resumed its journey towards Srinagar after a brief halt.
๐ฃ๐ผ๐น๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฒ ๐ฒ๐ ๐ฎ๐บ๐ถ๐ป๐ฒ ๐๐๐ง๐ฉ ๐ณ๐ผ๐ผ๐๐ฎ๐ด๐ฒ
Khanna Superintendent of Police (Investigation) R K Yadav said an FIR had been registered at Doraha police station and investigators were examining CCTV footage from nearby roadside eateries, petrol pumps and toll points to identify those responsible.
Police are also investigating whether the attack was connected to Saturday's incident in Karnal, where another bus operated by the same company was targeted.
"Both incidents involve the same operator. We are probing whether there is a link between the two attacks," Yadav said.
Investigators are examining several possible motives, including mischief, extortion, rivalry or a deliberate attempt to target the bus operator. No motive has been established so far.
Police said the Doraha stretch of GT Road had witnessed similar incidents in the past, with trucks and buses targeted by stone-pelters taking advantage of darkness and isolated locations.
๐ฆ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ผ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ฎ๐๐๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ธ ๐ถ๐ป ๐๐๐ผ ๐ฑ๐ฎ๐๐
The latest incident comes after a Jammu and Kashmir-bound bus was attacked with stones following a dispute in Haryana's Karnal district on Saturday.
A passenger and an employee of a roadside dhaba were injured in that incident.
The Karnal attack prompted Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah to intervene. Abdullah said his office had taken up the matter with the Haryana government.
The back-to-back incidents involving the same transport company have raised concerns about the safety of passengers travelling at night along the Delhi-Jammu-Srinagar route.
Police are examining whether the two incidents were isolated acts or part of a connected sequence of attacks.
๐๐๐ฆ๐ ๐๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ธ๐ ๐๐๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฐ๐ ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป
The Jammu and Kashmir Students' Association (JKSA) expressed concern over the attack in Khanna and urged the Punjab government to take immediate steps to protect passengers travelling to Kashmir.
The association said it had approached the Punjab Chief Minister's Office, seeking urgent intervention, accountability and stronger security arrangements for interstate travellers.
JKSA national convener Nasir Khuehami condemned the repeated attacks on Kashmir-bound vehicles, describing them as a serious safety concern requiring immediate attention from law enforcement agencies.
He urged Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and the state Director General of Police to ensure a thorough and impartial investigation, identify those involved and initiate strict legal action against them.
The association also called for measures to prevent similar incidents and restore confidence among passengers using interstate bus services.
Police said investigations were underway to identify the attackers and establish whether the incidents in Punjab and Haryana were connected.