LUDHIANA, India — Harjind Kaur stepped out of her car wielding a kirpan and pursued two fleeing bikers after they pelted her windshield with eggs on Dehlon Road. The incident unfolded around 11 p.m. Friday in Rajgarh village, where the NRI from Australia was visiting family.

A video captured by her aunt inside the vehicle shows Kaur advancing on the attackers as they paused ahead on the dark stretch. ‘Don’t move out or they will hurt you,’ the elderly woman shouts from the car. ‘I told you already that this is an abandoned road.’ Kaur ignored the pleas. She had spotted the bikers tailing her earlier and slowed down to check their intentions. That’s when the eggs hit.

‘We got suspicious when we saw bikers chasing us,’ Kaur told reporters Saturday. ‘I gave way, but they kept following. When I reduced speed, they threw eggs on the windshield and sped off. I was shocked.’

She keeps the kirpan — a ceremonial Sikh dagger — for protection during trips to India, citing concerns over law and order. ‘I came out with my kirpan,’ she said. ‘The bikers stopped in the middle of the road ahead. When I dared them with it, they turned and fled. Soon other vehicles arrived.’

The clip spread rapidly online. Viewers praised Kaur’s quick thinking. Police moved fast too. Ludhiana Commissioner Swapanjit Singh Sharma confirmed the arrests Saturday. ‘We identified and nabbed the two hooligans responsible,’ he said. ‘We applaud her bravery. We’re honoring her for it.’

Dehlon police station officer Ravneet Kaur took the complaint and filed a first information report. ‘She handled it bravely,’ Ravneet Kaur said. ‘We contacted her right away and recorded her statement.’

News of the clash reached Punjabi groups abroad. Satnam Singh Chahal, executive director of the North American Punjabi Association, condemned the ‘cowardly and unprovoked attack’ in a statement. ‘This violence is unacceptable,’ he said. ‘It shows the need for better protection in our communities.’

Chahal lauded Kaur’s response. ‘We commend her courage and self-defense that sent the attackers running,’ he added. ‘No one should fear harassment like this.’

Kaur arrived in Rajgarh two weeks ago for a holiday. The episode unfolded on a quiet rural road linking villages outside Ludhiana, Punjab’s busy industrial hub. Police described the youths as local troublemakers with no clear motive beyond mischief. Both face charges under local laws for vandalism and harassment.

Sharma’s office scheduled a commendation ceremony for Kaur next week. Her actions, captured in 30 seconds of raw footage, turned a potential roadside scare into a story of defiance. Online comments poured in from across the diaspora, many calling her a role model amid worries over safety for women travelers in India.

The arrests wrap up the immediate probe, though officers continue checking for witnesses among passing drivers. Kaur returned home unscathed, her car windshield cracked but drivable. She shrugged off the viral fame. ‘I just did what anyone would,’ she said.