A mere splash of rainwater, collected on roadside, caused by a school bus angered a group of men which led to a scuffle in which about eight children were injured at Dankaur in Greater Noida.
While the children — aged 10 to 12 years — were discharged from hospital after first aid, the driver and the conductor were still undergoing treatment.
Police said the a bus of Oxford Public School was dropping students home on Friday afternoon when it caused a splash of rainwater near Junaidpur, soiling a man’s dress. Fumed over the act, he called some of his associates from the locality and stopped the bus after chasing it.
“The youth dragged the driver and the conductor down and beat them mercilessly with sticks and iron roads. In the mêlée, eight students also got injured, said police officer Suresh Pal Singh Rana. “Rakesh Kumar, the manager of Oxford Public School, has registered an FIR against eight unidentified youths of the locality (Junaidpur). We are investigating the case and offenders will be arrested soon,” he said.
Brijesh, the driver, said, “They started beating us up. I apologized to them and urged them to calm down as bus was full of school students but they did not listen and continued beating us with sticks.” Pawan Kumar, an injured student, said, “A few men stopped our bus. They assaulted us, too.”
{{/usCountry}}Brijesh, the driver, said, “They started beating us up. I apologized to them and urged them to calm down as bus was full of school students but they did not listen and continued beating us with sticks.” Pawan Kumar, an injured student, said, “A few men stopped our bus. They assaulted us, too.”
{{/usCountry}}Parents of injured students rushed to the hospital and complained of lack of police patrolling in the area. They met senior police officials and demanded strict action against the attackers.
Rajeshwar Singh, father of an injured kid, said, “Beating innocent kids is a heinous act. We don’t know what made them do so because such a small incident can happen to anyone.”