Lucknow: Panic gripped a busy intersection in Lucknow on Monday morning after a group of motorcycle-borne youths attacked a school van carrying children, vandalised the vehicle and threatened its driver before fleeing the scene, police said.The incident occurred around 7.15 am near Charak Diagnostic Centre at Charak Chauraha under the Chowk police station limits. All the kids inside the van escaped unhurt.Based on a complaint lodged by the van driver, Mohd Aamir (26), police registered an FIR under Sections 131 (assault or use of criminal force), 351(2) (criminal intimidation), and 324(4) (mischief causing damage) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023. An investigation is underway.According to the FIR, Aamir, a resident of Rassi Batan in Naka, was driving an Eeco van (UP32 PD 8807) belonging to his friend, Sonu, to pick students from a private school in Lalbagh, when the incident took place. Aamir initially told some reporters that the van was attacked by kanwariyas, but he hasn’t mentioned it in the FIR.The complainant alleged that a group of motorcycle-borne youths, riding recklessly and creating a nuisance on the road, intercepted the school van and began attacking it. The assailants allegedly damaged the vehicle while several schoolchildren were inside.The sudden attack left the children terrified, with many crying and screaming in fear. Hearing the commotion, residents rushed to the spot, forcing the attackers to flee. Before fleeing, the accused allegedly threatened to kill the driver, the FIR states.Aamir told police he managed to note down the registration number of one of the motorcycles involved in the incident — UP32 QV 4084 — and handed the details over to investigators.DCP, West Zone, Kamlesh Dixit, said that police have begun analysing CCTV footage from the area and are using the motorcycle registration number to identify the accused. Investigators are also probing the motive behind the attack and whether the van was specifically targeted.“No injuries to the children or the driver were reported and further legal action will be taken based on the evidence collected during the investigation,” said Dixit.However, Zareen Khan, the parent of one child, told media persons, “this happened in front of cops as they kept mum and watched it.”Mohit Kashyap, an eyewitness said, “these men not only attacked but also abused and fled from the spot.”The guardians further alleged that it happened in front of the UP 112 vehicle and a police outpost but cops kept mum.
