Midnight stone attack on moving vehicles kills one, injures four on Raipur-Bilaspur road

RAIPUR: A late-night stone-pelting spree on the Raipur-Bilaspur route left one vehicle owner dead and four others injured after unidentified miscreants targeted at least three moving vehicles near Jhal village, police said on Tuesday. Investigators suspect the attackers were trying to force vehicles to stop for robbery.The deceased was identified as Jagdish Bhonsle, a resident of Lormi, who was returning in his matador after dropping a wedding party. Around 12.30am on Tuesday, assailants allegedly hurled stones and bricks at his vehicle near Jhal, causing a severe head injury. He was rushed to CIMS hospital in Bilaspur, where he later died during treatment.Around the same time, a truck travelling towards Chakarbhatha also came under attack. The driver, Sonu Saroj, was hit on the head by a stone, lost control of the vehicle, and veered off the road. About 2.5 km ahead, a Scorpio was similarly targeted. The SUV overturned on the road after the attack and was badly damaged.Bilaspur police said a case had initially been registered under attempt to murder, but it was later converted into a murder case following Bhonsle’s death. Bilha police station in-charge Top Singh Navrang said preliminary investigation suggests the attackers were pelting stones to stop vehicles with the intention of looting the occupants.Police teams have been deployed to trace the assailants, and surveillance and field enquiries are underway in the area.Similar attacks in the past have targeted cars, buses and even trains, leaving several injured.