A private bus travelling from Delhi to Srinagar was attacked with stones and bricks at a dhaba in Haryana’s Karnal district on Saturday night, shattering several window panes and leaving an elderly passenger injured.
The incident has triggered political reactions, with Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah seeking action against those responsible, while Haryana Police have attributed the attack to a dispute over parking and giving way.
The incident took place around 10.30 pm on October 17, when a Jammu and Kashmir-registered sleeper bus stopped at Divine Star Dhaba in Nilokheri, near Butana.
According to police, a verbal altercation broke out between a passenger from the bus and two youths travelling in a car.
The argument escalated, following which the two youths pelted the bus with stones and bricks lying nearby. Several window panes were damaged, and an elderly passenger sustained minor injuries from broken glass. The bus later resumed its journey towards Jammu and Kashmir.
Bus driver Waqar said the bus had stopped for dinner at Divine Star Hotel in Nilokheri, where a Baleno was already parked. He claimed that within a minute, someone shouted, “Atankwadi gaadi nikal yahan se (Move this terrorist vehicle from here)", and demanded that the bus leave.
When he questioned them, the men reportedly smashed the front windshield, damaged the number plates and assaulted him.
Waqar said others then joined the attack and threatened to shoot the occupants, set the bus on fire and kill them. He added that the attackers repeatedly objected to a Jammu and Kashmir-registered vehicle being in Haryana.
OMAR ABDULLAH SEEKS ACTION
Jammu and Kashmir National Conference leader Imran Nabi Dar described the incident as an “alleged hate crime” targeting Kashmiri passengers. He said stones and bricks were thrown at a Jammu and Kashmir-registered bus carrying Kashmiri families, leaving an elderly passenger injured and those on board “helpless and terrified”.
Reacting to Dar’s post on X, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah called the incident “unfortunate” and urged the Haryana government and police to take action against those responsible.
“This unfortunate incident should never have taken place. I hope the Haryana government led by Nayab Saini and Haryana Police catch the culprits and take action to ensure these things don’t happen again,” Abdullah wrote.
The incident has also drawn attention on social media, with users calling for an investigation into whether the attack was motivated by hostility towards Kashmiri passengers.
An Instagram user, Vikrant, shared a video from the spot and questioned why no one present had called the police while the bus was being attacked.
HARYANA POLICE CITE PARKING DISPUTE
Haryana Police have said their preliminary assessment points to a dispute over parking and giving way, rather than a communal attack.
SHO Butana Vipin Kumar and the investigating officer told media persons that the altercation involved a passenger from the bus and two youths travelling in a car. The men were identified as Mohit and Sawan, residents of Yunispura village.
According to police, all three had consumed alcohol before the argument escalated. The two youths allegedly used stones and bricks lying nearby to attack the bus, breaking several window panes. One passenger sustained a minor injury when the glass shattered.
Police said neither the bus passengers nor the car occupants had filed a formal complaint so far. However, they have taken suo motu cognisance of the incident and are in contact with the bus passengers, urging them to file a complaint.
Officials said strict action would be taken against those responsible for the stone-pelting. They also said the two sides had reached a compromise, with the youths agreeing to compensate for the damage caused to the bus.
“This was not a religion-related matter. We appeal for peace,” police officials said, maintaining that the incident stemmed from a dispute rather than a targeted communal attack.
