Srinagar, Oct 19 (KNO): An FIR has been registered and multiple police teams formed to nab those involved in an alleged stone-pelting attack on a Delhi-Srinagar passenger bus in Punjab’s Ludhiana district, the Jammu and Kashmir Students Association (JKSA) said on Monday.
In a statement issued to the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), a spokesperson said the JKSA expressed serious concern over the reported stone-pelting attack on a Delhi-Srinagar passenger bus in Doraha, Ludhiana district, Punjab, late Saturday night.
He said the Association had taken up the matter with the Punjab Chief Minister’s Office (CMO), seeking urgent intervention, accountability and measures to ensure the safety of Kashmiri passengers travelling through the state.
JKSA National Convenor Nasir Khuehami said several miscreants allegedly attacked the Kashmir-bound bus around 11 pm while it was travelling towards Srinagar. According to the bus driver, Ishfaq Ahmad, the attackers resorted to stone-pelting and smashed the vehicle’s window panes while passengers, including women and children, were asleep inside.
Khuehami condemned the incident, describing repeated attacks on Kashmir-bound vehicles as a serious concern requiring immediate intervention by law-enforcement agencies. He urged Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and Director General of Police (DGP) Punjab to ensure a thorough and impartial investigation, identify those responsible and initiate strict legal action against the perpetrators.
The spokesperson said Khuehami took up the matter with the Punjab CMO, including its Media Adviser and Spokesperson, Baltej Pannu, and others, seeking immediate intervention to ensure swift action.
He said the Association also raised the issue with the Punjab Chief Secretary and DGP Punjab, seeking accountability and stronger security measures for Kashmiri passengers travelling through the state.
Pannu assured Khuehami that the state government had taken serious note of the incident and that no one would be allowed to intimidate, harass or target Kashmiri bus drivers or passengers anywhere in Punjab. He reiterated the government’s commitment to zero tolerance towards such incidents and assured that strict action would be taken against anyone found involved.
The spokesperson said Pannu also directed the concerned police authorities, including the Commissioner of Police, Ludhiana, the Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) and the Superintendent of Police (Investigation), to intervene and ensure prompt action.
Following the intervention, SP Investigation Khanna Rakesh Kumar Yadav informed Khuehami that an FIR (No. 0343) had been registered at Doraha Police Station under Sections 324(4) and 125 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) in connection with the incident. He added that multiple police teams had been formed to identify and apprehend those responsible, while further investigation and legal proceedings were underway.
Khuehami said, “Why should Kashmiris fear for their safety while travelling through different parts of the country? A passenger bus carrying ordinary citizens, including women and children, was allegedly targeted while people were asleep. Such incidents are deeply disturbing and must not be taken lightly. The authorities must ensure accountability and send a clear message that violence and intimidation against Kashmiri passengers will not be tolerated.”
He further stressed that repeated incidents involving Kashmir-bound vehicles raised serious questions about the safety and security of Kashmiri travellers. He called on the authorities to ensure that such attacks did not become normalised. The Association stressed that the Punjab government must ensure the safety of Kashmiri passengers, drivers and other travellers passing through the state.
Khuehami appreciated the intervention of the Punjab CMO and the prompt response of the police in registering the FIR and initiating efforts to apprehend the accused. He, however, emphasised that the matter must be pursued to its logical conclusion and that those responsible must face the full force of the law—(KNO)