Amritsar: Not given way, youth opens fire on school bus; arrested

PK Jaiswar

Advertisement

Amritsar, August 23

Panic gripped the Jandiala Guru area here on Tuesday afternoon when a youth allegedly opened fire on a school bus carrying children on Jania Road here. The driver, conductor and the children had a narrow escape. The accused, identified as Karaj Singh of Jania village, was later overpowered by the driver.

The driver, Harinder Singh, and conductor Shehnazdeep Singh snatched the pistol from him and later tied him to a tree. Then they called the police to the spot. The youth was taken into custody by the police. Besides, the pistol used by the youth was also taken into custody by the police.

Superintendent of Police Jugraj Singh confirmed the incident saying that the suspect was taken into custody and the weapon was seized. He said further investigations were in progress to ascertain the legality of the weapon and the reason behind the incident.

Harinder Singh said he was working as a driver with the school bus belonging to Saint Soldier Convent School at Jandiala. He said there were around 45 children in the school bus at that time. At around 2.25 pm, they were driving down the Jania road. He said the motorcycle-borne youth, who was following the bus, started blaring the horn frantically. He said as there was an autorickshaw ahead of his school bus, he could not let him overtake the bus for some time.

Enraged over this, he overtook the bus and stopped in the middle of the road. He said the youth took out the pistol and fired at the conductor side. Shehnazdeep, the conductor, escaped narrowly and the accused then fired at the driver side, besides firing another gunshot at the bus.

Senior police officials, headed by SP Jugraj Singh and Jandiala Guru DSP Kuldeep Singh reached the spot and started investigations. It was also alleged that the accused was under the influence of drugs, but it would be ascertained after his medical examination, he said.

Deputy Superintendents of Police Kuldeep Singh, however, denied the firing incident though, saying the youth scuffled with the driver. He said the credentials of Karaj Singh was being investigated.

Road rage

• There were around 45 children in the school bus at that time
• At around 2.25 pm, the motorcycle-borne youth, who was following the bus, started blaring the horn frantically
• The driver said as there was an autorickshaw ahead of the school bus, he could not let him overtake the bus for some time
• Enraged over this, he overtook the bus and stopped in the middle of the road. He said the youth took out the pistol and fired at the conductor side
• When conductor Shehnazdeep escaped narrowly, the accused fired at the driver side, besides firing another gunshot at the school bus