In a shocking incident that left a group of schoolchildren traumatized, four young men were arrested in Gurgaon on Monday for allegedly chasing down a school van, pointing what turned out to be a toy gun at a student, and attempting to drag him out of the vehicle. The attack, police said, was the result of a six-month-old grudge.
The Terrifying Ordeal Near Signature Tower
The frightening episode unfolded on Monday afternoon. A van carrying around twenty students, including Class 12 student Dhruv Dahiya, was returning home after their chemistry exam. As they neared Signature Tower, two Toyota Fortuner SUVs suddenly swerved in front of the van, forcing it to a screeching halt.
According to a police complaint filed by Dhruv's father, Ashok Dahiya, the two SUVs carried roughly a dozen youths. Two of them jumped out aggressively. One was brandishing what appeared to be a pistol, while the other was armed with a wooden stick. The assailant with the pistol immediately targeted Dhruv, banging the weapon's butt against the van window, pointing it directly at the teenager, and threatening to kill him. His accomplice hurled the stick at the vehicle.
"The children were terrified. My son could not sleep the whole night," Ashok Dahiya later told the police, describing the psychological impact on the young passengers who watched the scene unfold in fear.
Driver's Presence of Mind and Police Action
Amidst the chaos, the van's driver, Praveen, displayed remarkable composure. He waited for an opportune moment, then quickly maneuvered the vehicle towards a nearby police kiosk. The sight of law enforcement prompted the attackers to flee the scene immediately.
A larger police force arrived within minutes. Upon investigation, officers clarified that no actual shots were fired. The weapon pointed at Dhruv was a toy gun, which was later recovered. "No firing took place. The accused intercepted the school van, hit it with a stick, and carried a toy gun," a senior police officer stated. Inspection of the scene confirmed no bullet marks or empty cartridges were found.
Old Enmity Triggers Planned Attack
Police investigation quickly revealed the motive behind the brazen daytime attack. It stemmed from an old dispute between Dhruv's family and one of the accused, Pankaj Yadav, and his brother Lakshay. A verbal altercation had occurred approximately six months prior.
"Preliminary investigation revealed that the incident was triggered by an altercation that took place around six months earlier... Nursing a grudge, the accused planned the attack and chased the school van in two Fortuner cars," explained police spokesperson Sandeep Kumar.
Based on the complaint, the Civil Lines police station registered a case under multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including wrongful restraint, rioting while armed with a deadly weapon, and criminal intimidation, along with relevant provisions of the Arms Act.
The police subsequently arrested four individuals: Pankaj, Neeraj, Prince, and Himanshu. Both SUVs used in the crime were seized. The white Fortuner was registered to Himanshu, while the black one was in the name of Pankaj's father. The wooden stick and the toy gun were also confiscated as evidence.
