A bus travelling from Delhi to Srinagar was pelted with stones in Punjab’s Doraha area on Sunday night, a day after another bus operated by the same transport company was targeted in Haryana’s Karnal district.
According to the police, the latest incident occurred as the bus was passing through Doraha in Khanna. A stone thrown from the roadside shattered a windowpane, triggering panic among passengers. No injuries were reported in the incident.
Police personnel reached the spot after receiving information about the stone-pelting and escorted the bus safely out of Khanna. The vehicle later resumed its journey to Srinagar under police protection following a brief halt.
Khanna Superintendent of Police (Investigation) R K Yadav said an FIR had been registered at Doraha police station. Police are examining CCTV footage from nearby dhabas, petrol pumps and toll points to identify those responsible for the incident.
The investigation is also focusing on whether the latest attack is connected to Saturday’s incident in Karnal, given that both buses belonged to the same transport operator.
“Both incidents involve the same operator. We are probing whether there is a link between the two attacks,” Yadav said.
Police officials said the stretch of the Grand Trunk Road passing through Doraha had witnessed similar incidents in the past. Trucks and buses have previously been targeted with stones along the route, often at night when visibility is poor and certain stretches are relatively isolated.
Investigators are examining the circumstances surrounding Sunday’s incident to determine whether it was an act of mischief, an extortion attempt, a case of rivalry or a targeted attack. No further details about the suspects or a possible motive were immediately available.
The incident comes a day after a Jammu and Kashmir-bound bus was pelted with stones in Haryana’s Karnal district following a dispute on Saturday. A passenger travelling on the bus and an employee of a roadside dhaba were injured in the incident.
The Karnal attack drew a response from Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, who said his office had taken up the matter with the Haryana government.
The back-to-back incidents have raised concerns about the safety of passengers travelling on the Delhi-Jammu-Srinagar route, particularly during night journeys. The latest case has also prompted investigators to examine whether the two attacks were isolated incidents or involved a common motive.
Police investigations into the Doraha incident are ongoing, while further details about the Karnal case were not provided in the available account.
