Karnal, Oct 18: Haryana Police on Sunday said the incident involving a Jammu and Kashmir-bound private bus in Karnal followed an altercation between a passenger and two local men over giving way, with all three under the influence of alcohol.
Speaking to reporters in Karnal, Butana Police Station in-charge Vipin Kumar said police received a call through the Police Response Vehicle (PRV) regarding a dispute involving a private bus parked near Divine Star Dhaba and a car.
Kumar said the two occupants of the car, identified as Mohit and Sawan, residents of Unispur village, were involved in an altercation with a passenger identified as Syed Arfat.
He said both the passenger and the two car occupants had consumed alcohol before the altercation, during which three to four windowpanes of the bus were damaged.
“We are investigating against those boys,” Kumar said, adding that police had reviewed CCTV footage, which showed two men involved in a fight with the bus passenger.
He said police had repeatedly asked the passenger to submit a formal complaint to facilitate further investigation, but no formal complaint had been received so far.
Kumar also denied any communal or region-specific angle to the incident, saying it was not related to the bus being registered in Jammu and Kashmir.
“There was nothing like that. It was a fight between two sides after drinking,” he said, urging people to verify facts before sharing videos on social media that could potentially disturb communal harmony.
The police officer also acknowledged that a passenger was injured, although his remarks did not establish the exact circumstances in which the injury occurred. The bus later left the area during the night.
The incident came to light after a Jammu and Kashmir-registered private bus travelling from Delhi to Srinagar was allegedly attacked near Divine Star Dhaba in Karnal late Saturday night. The bus, operated by Star World Ventures and carrying around 40 passengers, had several windows damaged, while an elderly passenger from Kashmir was reportedly injured.
Earlier, the bus operator had alleged that a group of men assaulted the driver, pelted the bus with stones and threatened that Jammu and Kashmir-registered vehicles would not be allowed to operate in Haryana.
