Elderly man injured as Srinagar-bound bus pelted with stones in Haryana, driver called terrorist; passengers recall horror

PTC News Desk: A private bus travelling from Delhi to Srinagar was attacked with stones and bricks at a roadside eatery in Haryana’s Karnal district on Saturday night. The attack shattered several window panes and left an elderly passenger injured.

The incident has sparked political reactions, with Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah demanding action against those responsible. Haryana Police, however, have said the preliminary investigation points to a dispute over parking and giving way.

The incident took place around 10:30 pm on October 17, when a sleeper bus registered in Jammu and Kashmir stopped at Divine Star Dhaba in Nilokheri, near Butana, for dinner.

According to police, an argument broke out between a passenger on the bus and two youths travelling in a car. The dispute soon escalated, and the two youths allegedly attacked the bus with stones and bricks lying nearby. Several windows were damaged, while an elderly passenger suffered minor injuries from broken glass. The bus later resumed its journey towards Jammu and Kashmir.

Bus driver Waqar said the vehicle had stopped for dinner at Divine Star Hotel in Nilokheri, where a Baleno car 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 the spot.

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.

Meanwhile, Haryana Police have said their preliminary assessment suggests that the incident stemmed from a parking and right-of-way dispute rather than a communal attack.

Butana Station House Officer Vipin Kumar and the investigating officer told the media that the altercation involved a bus passenger and two youths travelling in a car. The two men were identified as Mohit and Sawan, residents of Yunispura village.