Delhi bus vandalism investigations have led police to alleged involvement by third-party contractual drivers engaged by the Delhi Transport Corporation, with 17 people apprehended in connection with attacks on DTC and cluster buses during protests over the past few days.
Police sources said eight people were apprehended in Kanjhawala and four others at different locations in Rohini in connection with two FIRs. In Dwarka, five people have been arrested in cases involving damage to buses, while more than 50 people have been detained under Section 65 of the Delhi Police Act for questioning.
Investigators have also identified a WhatsApp group allegedly used to discuss plans to vandalise DTC buses. According to police, three people were allegedly operating the group, where members discussed targets, attack plans and other details. The police account does not establish how widely the group was used or whether all its members were involved in vandalism.
In one Dwarka case, police received a PCR call at 5:52 am on September 19 after the windows of four cluster buses were broken in Pochanpur. A case was registered, and investigators examined CCTV footage from the area. Police said the footage showed a person wearing a DTC uniform allegedly throwing stones at the buses. The person was identified as Manoj Sharma, 31, a driver of one of the buses involved in the incident.
Separate incidents were reported in Baba Haridas Nagar on September 18, when PCR calls were received 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 from bus drivers.
Police said CCTV footage and identification by the complainants led to the apprehension of three contractual DTC drivers: Sandeep, 42, Ram Singh, 50, and Munni Lal, 42. Investigators alleged that the men travelled on a motorcycle and damaged bus windows when they had an opportunity, using stones or a slingshot. A motorcycle and a slingshot were seized, police said.
The investigation places the alleged role of contractual transport workers alongside questions about access, supervision and security across Delhi’s bus network. The reported incidents involve both DTC and cluster buses, which operate across multiple parts of the city and depend on coordinated driver, contractor and police oversight. The immediate police action remains focused on identifying those involved, linking suspects to specific incidents and examining the communications allegedly used to organise the attacks.
