Padmaavat protests: 18 arrested for attack on school bus in India

Indian Police on thursday arrested 18 persons in connection with yesterday's attack on a school bus in Gurugram locality . The men were part of the mob that attacked the bus with stones and sticks while protesting against the release of Bollywood director Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Padmaavat. They are likely to be produced before a local court in Gurugram.

The bus belonging to GD Goenka World School came under attack as it drove past the mob that had just torched a Haryana Roadways bus.

A video shot by a passenger on the bus showed terrified schoolchildren crouching on the floor. The 13-second video showed a few shattered windows and a student sobbing constantly in the background. Staff members were heard telling the children to keep low and not get up.

"Traffic was clearing up when some men from the mob began throwing stones at us. They came at us with faces covered," said Parvesh Kumar, the driver of the GD Goenka World School, Sohna, school bus.

There were ten children on board the bus at the time, who study in grades ranging from nursery to class XII, officials said. In addition, there were three teachers, one conductor, and a helper who were also in the vehicle, apart from the driver.

"We did not even have a chance to understand what was happening, or request the men to not harm us. They attacked us so suddenly that we barely had enough time to get ourselves and the students out of the harm's way," said a school employee who was in the bus.

Confirming the incident, Manish Sehgal, PRO of Gurgaon Police, said, "The school bus was driving past the area when a roadways bus was set afire, and protesters threw stones at the school bus as well. Some glass was shattered, but no injuries have been reported until now."