E-Paper
One suspect held, 5 identified in attack on school van in Lucknow
The breakthrough came a day after the incident triggered outrage on social media, with videos clearly showing the faces of the attackers and the motorcycle they were riding
LUCKNOW A day after a group of men, alleged by eyewitnesses to be Kanwariyas, attacked a school van ferrying children in Lucknow’s Chowk area, police on Tuesday arrested one suspect, identified five others and seized the motorcycle allegedly used in the incident.
Six suspects were identified using CCTV footage and viral videos that surfaced after Monday morning’s incident near Charak crossing. Police said Anuj Rajput, 20, a resident of Malhara village in Unnao’s Hasanganj area, was taken into custody, while three teams were formed to arrest the other five suspects, the police stated in a release.
“The motorcycle used in the incident has been seized and efforts are underway to apprehend the remaining accused,” said DCP (west) Kamlesh Dixit. An FIR had earlier been registered against unidentified persons on the complaint of the school van driver under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
The school van carrying seven children was allegedly attacked after a minor collision with a motorcycle, leaving its windows shattered and children inside terrified. The video of the incident had gone viral with parents questioning the police over its effectiveness. Police had not confirmed whether the accused were part of the Kanwar Yatra, though eyewitnesses and parents claimed the attackers were kanwariyas.
The breakthrough came a day after the incident triggered outrage on social media, with purported videos clearly showing the faces of the attackers and the motorcycle they were riding. Parents had questioned why no arrests had been made despite Lucknow Police’s extensive technology-driven surveillance system.
