Nilokheri: A private sleeper bus operating on the Delhi-Srinagar route with 35 passengers on board became the target of a violent attack near Nilokheri in Haryana. According to the bus driver, the vehicle was pelted with stones and bricks by a hostile group. The driver alleged that he was verbally abused and physically assaulted simply because the bus carried Jammu and Kashmir registration plates.
The attackers reportedly smashed the vehicle's windshield and threatened to set the entire bus on fire. The terrifying ordeal prompted swift intervention from law enforcement authorities once local authorities were alerted to the violence.
While the driver maintained that the vehicle was targeted due to its regional registration, local police officials offered a different perspective on the genesis of the confrontation. According to investigators, the altercation initially stemmed from a localized parking dispute rather than an unprovoked targeted hate incident, though all aspects of the driver's complaint are under examination.
In response to the incident, the Bhutana Police formally registered a First Information Report and quickly moved to detain two individuals suspected of taking part in the attack. Authorities are continuing their inquiries to identify any other potential participants involved in damaging the public carrier.
The assault drew widespread political attention, most notably from Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah. Taking to public statements, Abdullah strongly condemned the violence directed at the vehicle and its occupants, demanding that strict punitive action be taken against the culprits responsible for endangering civilian lives.