Sunil Chadha
DHARAMSHALA: Nearly 100 hours after the broad daylight attack on Bumber Thakur, a former Himachal Pradesh Congress MLA, on Holi (March 14, 2025), the Himachal Pradesh Police have failed to arrest the main shooters involved in the incident.
While three accused have been arrested so far, four key shooters and an additional accomplice remain at large.
In a bid to track them down, the Haryana Police have detained some suspects in Rohtak and the Himachal Pradesh Police have taken Bolero driver Ritesh to Haryana for identification purposes.
Shooters had well-planned execution
The attackers, believed to be four in number, had meticulously planned the attack on Bumber Thakur in Bilaspur’s VIP sector Changer. Two of them have been identified, but they remain beyond the police reach.
Reports suggest that the police have prepared sketches of the unidentified shooters to aid in their search. CCTV footage from Bumber Thakur’s residence reveals that the suspects had been lurking in the city since the morning of Holi.
They had even visited the former MLA’s house around noon before returning at 2.47 pm to execute the attack on Bumber Thakur.
Police under pressure amid budget session
With the state’s budget session ongoing, the police face mounting pressure to nab the culprits, yet they remain unsuccessful.
This is the second shooting incident in Bilaspur within a year and another case of illegal arms training in Ghumarwin’s Jahadi forest remains unresolved.
Shooters stayed in region for three months
Adding to the shock, reports indicate that the attackers had been residing in the district for the past three months, even visiting local temples and surveying the area without police detecting their presence.
Two of the absconding shooters are said to have a background in wrestling, making their swift escape across three districts — Bilaspur, Mandi and Kullu — all the more alarming. Their ability to dodge police scrutiny raises fears that they may have already fled the state.
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