A Class I student was abducted from a school bus and the driver shot allegedly by two bike-borne assailants in East Delhi.
The incident happened in the morning of Thursday, 25 January – a day before India celebrates its 69th Republic Day.
According to NDTV, the assailants stopped the bus at around 7.40 am and kidnapped the child after shooting the driver in the leg.
Reports say that there were around 20-25 children in the bus at the time of the kidnapping.
Quoting Joint Commissioner of Police (eastern range) Ravindra Singh Yadav, Indian Express reports that specialised units of the Delhi Police have initiated a probe. An FIR has also been registered.
The police believe that the assailants fled toward Uttar Pradesh after the kidnapping. According to eyewitnesses the men were wearing helmets.
The police also suspect the role of insiders because of the manner in which the kidnapping took place, the Indian Express reports.
The incident comes at a time when the entire National Capital Region (NCR) is on high alert due to the Republic Day and the ASEAN summit. The leaders of 10 ASEAN nations are visiting the country and will be the chief guests at the Republic Day parade on 26 January.
At the same time, heightened security measures are in place due to the violent protests by fringe groups across north India over the film ‘Padmaavat’.