Sunil Chadha
DHARAMSHALA: The Himachal Road Transport Corporation (HRTC) has filed an FIR in connection with the attack on one of its buses near Kharar in Punjab’s Mohali district on late Tuesday (March 18, 2025) evening.
The attack took place as the bus was en route from Chandigarh to Hamirpur in Himachal Pradesh.
According to HRTC management, the bus departed from Chandigarh at 6.15 pm. As it approached Kharar, the vehicle was attacked by a group of unknown individuals armed with sticks.
The attackers smashed the bus’s windscreen and several windows before fleeing the scene. The driver, conductor and passengers were all left in a state of shock, but no one was injured.
Attackers came in car with obscured number plates
The attackers used a car with obscured number plates, making it difficult to identify them. The police have launched an investigation into the incident, with an FIR now registered.
The bus driver, Ravi Kumar, and conductor, Lovely Kumar, reported that two unidentified individuals dressed in Sikh attire stopped the bus at Kharar.
They began hitting the bus with sticks and broke the windows panes before escaping towards Kurali. The attack was reported to the Kharar police station by a passenger and the police have since removed the damaged bus from the site and initiated an investigation.
HRTC buses targeted in other parts of Punjab too
This attack follows a series of incidents in Punjab, where pro-Khalistan supporters have been targeting HRTC buses.
In Hoshiarpur, youth supporting Khalistan forcibly placed posters of Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale on HRTC buses, while similar incidents occurred in Kharar and other parts of Punjab.
These protests have sparked concerns about the safety of HRTC staff and passengers, with videos of these incidents going viral on social media.
Political Response and Concerns over Safety
The matter was raised in the Himachal Pradesh Assembly during the Budget session. Leader of the Opposition Jai Ram Thakur demanded that Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu speak to Punjab’s Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann regarding these attacks.
Thakur highlighted that HRTC buses were being stopped in Punjab and Bhindranwale’s posters were being placed on buses, raising tensions in the state.
If the situation does not improve, HRTC Drivers’ Union president Man Singh warned that buses may stop travelling through Punjab. He emphasised that the safety of passengers and staff is the top priority. A meeting with the government will take place on Wednesday to address these concerns, he said.
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