2 held after stone attack on Srinagar-bound bus in Haryana, passenger injured; Omar seeks action

19/10/2026

KARNAL/SRINAGAR, Oct 18: Two men have been rounded up for questioning after a stone-pelting incident involving a Delhi-to-Srinagar sleeper bus in Haryana's Karnal district left an elderly passenger and a dhaba employee injured, police said on Sunday.
The incident, which occurred late Saturday night at the parking area of Divine Star Dhaba, prompted Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah to take up the matter with the Haryana government and seek action against those responsible.
Abdullah said the Haryana administration had assured prompt and stringent action in accordance with the law.
"The J&K Government stands with the affected passengers and is closely monitoring the situation," the Chief Minister said in a post on his official X handle.
In an earlier post, Abdullah had urged his Haryana counterpart, Nayab Singh Saini, to ensure that those responsible were apprehended and appropriate action was taken to prevent a recurrence of such incidents.
According to Inspector General of Police, Karnal Range, Ashwin Shenvi, the incident took place around 11.30 pm on Saturday when two youths arrived at the dhaba in a car. The bus, travelling from Delhi to Srinagar, had also stopped in the parking area.
Police said a dispute broke out after the car allegedly struck the bus while its occupants were manoeuvring the vehicle to move ahead. A verbal altercation subsequently escalated into a physical confrontation involving some passengers and dhaba employees.
During the clash, the two youths allegedly hurled stones at the bus, breaking its windowpanes and damaging seats inside the vehicle. An elderly passenger and a dhaba employee sustained injuries, police said.
The bus eventually resumed its journey towards Srinagar at around 1.30 am.
Shenvi said the incident stemmed from a parking dispute and was not a hate crime. He appealed to people not to circulate rumours or draw conclusions from unverified social media posts while the investigation was underway.
Initially, no formal complaint was lodged, and the bus continued towards its destination. Police subsequently registered a First Information Report at Butana police station following a complaint by the dhaba manager.
The two men, identified as Mohit and Sawan, both residents of Karnal, have been rounded up for questioning. Police have also taken the car into custody, and further legal proceedings are underway.
The incident also triggered reactions in Jammu and Kashmir, with National Conference spokesperson Imran Nabi Dar condemning the attack and describing it as an alleged hate crime. He demanded strict action against those responsible.
Police, however, have maintained that the preliminary account points to a dispute over parking and urged the public to allow the investigation to establish the facts.
The incident has raised concerns over the safety of passengers travelling on long-distance routes between Delhi and Jammu and Kashmir. The Jammu and Kashmir government said it was in touch with the Haryana authorities and would continue to monitor the situation as the investigation proceeds.

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