Himachal police arrest 3 for firing at former Congress MLA Bumber Thakur, hunt on for two shooters

Munish Sood
MANDI: In a major breakthrough, the Himachal Pradesh Police have arrested three of the five accused for allegedly firing at former Congress MLA Bumber Thakur at his official residence in Bilaspur on Holi two days ago while a manhunt is on to nab the two shooters.

The arrested accused have been identified as Ritesh, Manjeet Nadda and Rohit Rana. Among them, Manjeet and Rohit are accused of conducting a recce before the attack.

A viral Instagram video, featuring a Punjabi song, is being linked to the two shooters, who are reportedly from Ritoli village in Rohtak in Haryana. The duo is suspected to have opened fire on Bumber Thakur.

Four assailants fired 22 to 24 rounds

The incident occurred on Friday (March 14, 2025) afternoon around 3 pm on Holi when Bumber Thakur was meeting people at his wife’s official residence in the VIP Changer Sector of Bilaspur city.

Four assailants opened fire, shooting 22 to 24 rounds. Bumber Thakur sustained a bullet injury on his left leg while his personal security officer (PSO) Sanjeev Kumar was hit twice, once in the abdomen, damaging his small intestine, and once in the leg.

Medical condition of victims

Bumber Thakur is currently undergoing treatment at Indira Gandhi Medical College (IGMC) in Shimla.
PSO Sanjeev Kumar is admitted to AIIMS-Bilaspur where doctors successfully removed the bullets.

A local resident, Vishal Chandel from Lakhanpur, who was present at the spot, sustained minor injuries from bullet shrapnel and was discharged after treatment.

Key evidence recovered

The police have recovered a Bolero vehicle from Chakker in Mandi district, which is suspected to have been used by the assailants. A pistol was also found in the vehicle.

Five persons, including the vehicle driver, have been taken into custody for questioning. The police have also obtained CCTV footage that shows the attackers arriving and fleeing the crime scene.

Preliminary investigations revealed that some individuals present around the residence were providing real-time updates to the attackers, allowing them to execute the attack when Bumber Thakur stepped into the courtyard.

Special investigation team formed for probe

A special investigation team (SIT) comprising eight members has been formed to probe the case. The Himachal Pradesh Police are coordinating with the Haryana Police and several teams have been dispatched to track the accused.

CCTV footage from roadside eateries and checkpoints along the Kiratpur-Manali four-lane highway is also being examined to trace the movement of shooters.

Following the incident, Himachal Pradesh Assembly Speaker Kuldeep Singh Pathania, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, Ministers Harshvardhan Chauhan, Dhani Ram Shandil and Vikramaditya Singh visited IGMC-Shimla to enquire about Bumber Thakur’s health.