A school bus carrying around 50 children was stopped by criminals in a car near Tekanpur on the Gwalior-Jhansi highway, where the bus driver was shot. The sound of gunfire triggered panic among the children, with many screaming and crying in fear. The bullet passed close to the driver's temple, while pellets hit his face and chest.
After receiving information about the incident, police launched an investigation and arrested three accused within around eight hours. Police identified the main accused as Arjun alias Bhima Yadav, the brother of Shrikrishna Yadav, who was a friend of bus driver Khem Singh Yadav. Shivam Yadav and Abhishek Yadav were also arrested, while police are searching for a fourth accused, Rahul Yadav.
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Car Overtook Bus Before Shooting
According to police, Khem Singh Yadav, a resident of Salaiya village under Pichhor police station, drives a bus for Glorious School in Tekanpur. On Saturday morning, he was carrying around 50 children from Pichhor, Dabra and nearby areas to school.
Meanwhile, in the Chhoti Akbari area, a white Swift car overtook the bus and stopped near a culvert. The bus also stopped behind it. Khem Singh first sent a female attendant to speak to the occupants of the car.
The attendant returned and told him that the car driver had claimed that the vehicle had run out of CNG and that he needed the bus driver to help push it. Khem Singh then got off the bus and approached the car.
Driver Shot As He Approached Car
As Khem Singh reached the driver's side of the car, the accused sitting beside the driver allegedly fired at him with a pistol. The bullet passed close to his temple, while pellets struck his face and chest. The accused then fled the spot, leaving Khem Singh injured.
The gunshot sent the children into panic, with many screaming and crying inside the bus. The female attendant managed to calm them down. Initially, passersby told police that the firing had taken place inside the bus. However, after reaching the spot, police found that the firing was directed at the driver and not the children.
Old Rivalry Suspected
Police investigation has pointed to an incident from four years ago as the possible motive behind the shooting. According to police, Arjun's brother, Shrikrishna Yadav, and Khem Singh Yadav were travelling to distribute wedding invitations when they met with a road accident. Shrikrishna died in the accident.
Arjun allegedly suspected that Khem Singh had left his brother injured after the accident and had held a grudge against him since then. Police are investigating this old rivalry as the possible motive behind the attack.
Three Arrested
Pichhor police have arrested Arjun Yadav, Shivam Yadav and Abhishek Yadav, while teams are conducting raids to trace the fourth accused, Rahul Yadav. Rahul, a resident of Bandhauli, has been absconding since the incident.
According to police, all four accused were trying to flee the city, but three of them were caught before they could escape. Police are also investigating other aspects of the case, including the weapon and vehicle allegedly used in the crime.
The Tekanpur shooting case has been solved, SSP Dharamveer Singh said, adding that three suspects have been arrested and the search for the fourth accused is continuing.