HRTC Driver Beaten, Bus Vandalised In Dehradun; Attackers Flee

Dehradun, March 17 – In an astonishing incident, a driver of a Himachal Road Transport Corporation (HRTC) bus was brutally beaten and a group of youths vandalised the bus here on Sunday afternoon. The accident took place around 2 PM when the bus (HP 86 7658) was on its way back to Dharampur (Mandi) after completing the Haridwar route.

The bus driver, Ramesh Chand, from Kupvi in Shimla district, said the bus was passing through a place called Telpur when 8-10 youths suddenly blocked its way. Without any provocation the group started abusing the driver using filthy language after which they started attacking him. Though passengers were on the bus, the young men continued to rip off the driver’s clothing and tried to pull him from the bus.

Things got worse when the attackers smashed the front glass of the bus with sticks and left the vehicle damaged. Passengers are left in shock while the driver came out with some minor injuries. The attackers had fled by the time officers arrived.

They acknowledged that the bus they attacked had allegedly hit their vehicle at a traffic signal in Dehradun, before their vehicle did the crime, but no evidence was found to substantiate this claim. The group could not produce any vehicle or signs of being hit. In the meantime, the charges had not yet proven true.

Immediately after the attack, driver Ramesh Chand informed the local police. The attackers had fled by the time the police arrived, and the bus is currently at the police station for investigation. Passengers were shifted to the other buses at Nahan and Sarkaghat depots for their onward journey.

Earlier, the driver had contacted his higher-ups at the police, detailing the assault and called for appropriate legal action against the assailants. He has also called for police to investigate the incident and hold the youths accountable for the damage to the bus. A video of the incident has circulated on social media, depicting the youths assaulting the driver and breaking the windows of the bus with sticks.

The Dehradun police have begun an investigation into the case and are on the job to identify and arrest the accused. The violence has sent shock waves through the local community, and the authorities faces pressure to make sure justice is served.