Ludhiana, May 8 -- A bomb scare on a Katra-bound bus triggered panic and a full-scale emergency response near Samrala in Ludhiana on Wednesday afternoon. The alert, later confirmed to be a hoax, led to evacuation of 45 passengers. It was around 2.50 pm, when the driver of the Orbit Aviation bus, Sukhwinder Singh, received a call from a bus ticket booking agency in Delhi, warning that a bomb had been planted on board. Demonstrating remarkable presence of mind, Singh veered the bus off the highway onto the adjoining fields and drove to the nearby Hedon police post. After quietly evacuating all passengers without causing panic, he alerted the police personnel at the police post. Police immediately cordoned off the area and evacuated the surroundings. A bomb disposal team conducted an exhaustive search of the vehicle and passengers' belongings, concluding the operation around 6 pm with no presence of explosives. Khanna SSP Jyoti Yadav said after verifying passenger identities, the bus was allowed to continue its journey. "The number used to make the hoax call is being traced, and stern action will be taken against the caller," the SSP added.HTC...