Delhi Police have apprehended 17 people in connection with the vandalism of Delhi Transport Corporation and cluster buses during protests, with investigators alleging that several third-party contractual drivers engaged by the transport corporation were involved in the attacks.
Police sources said eight people were apprehended in Kanjhawala and four others at different locations in Rohini in connection with two FIRs. In Dwarka, police have registered 17 cases linked to bus vandalism and arrested five people, while more than 50 others have been detained for questioning under Section 65 of the Delhi Police Act.
Investigators have also traced a WhatsApp group allegedly used to discuss plans to damage buses. According to police, three people were operating the group, where members discussed the buses to be targeted, attack plans and other details.
One of the Dwarka cases followed a PCR call received at 5:52 am on September 19 after the windows of four cluster buses were broken in Pochanpur. Police registered a case and examined CCTV footage, which allegedly showed a person wearing a DTC uniform throwing stones at the buses. The suspect was identified as Manoj Sharma, 31, a driver of one of the buses involved in the incident, police said.
In a separate case in Baba Haridas Nagar, PCR calls were received on September 18 about damage to the windows of DTC buses. Two FIRs were registered on September 19 under Section 3 of the Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act, based on complaints filed by bus drivers.
Police said CCTV footage and identification by the complainants led to the arrest of three contractual DTC drivers: Sandeep, 42, Ram Singh, 50, and Munni Lal, 42. Investigators alleged that the three travelled on a motorcycle and damaged bus windows when they found an opportunity, using stones or a slingshot. A motorcycle and a slingshot were seized, police said.
The investigation has placed the conduct of third-party contractual workers under scrutiny while police continue to examine the alleged WhatsApp group and the separate incidents recorded across Delhi. The cases remain under investigation, with police proceedings continuing on the basis of CCTV footage, complaints, seizures and questioning of those detained.
