Highwaymen loot bus, stone another

IMPHAL, Mar 2: Unidentified armed persons looted the driver of an Imphal-bound passenger bus at gun-point near Chumukedia in Nagaland today even as another passenger bus was pelted with stones by unidentified miscreants smashing its wind shield at Tadubi yesterday.According to information received by the press, the passenger bus ‘Rajdhani Express’ bearing registration no. MN01-1635 was coming from Guwahati when the unidentified armed persons looted Rs 9,700 from the bus driver and helpers at gun point at a spot known as Half Mile along National Highway 39 and falling under the jurisdiction of Chumukedia Police Station in Dimapur district of Nagaland at around 3 am today. The passenger bus left Guwahati for Imphal around 4 pm yesterday.The looters were clad in civilian dresses but armed with AK-Rifles and carbine.While two of them holding AK-Rifles were standing on guard on either sides of the road, one who was holding a carbine stood in front of the road and stopped the bus.As soon as the bus stopped, one of the armed persons climbed up and demanded the driver to pay Rs 5000 while pointing the gun at him. The armed person also asked the driver to arrange the money from among the passengers if he (the driver) did not have the demanded amount in his possession.While taking amount the demanded money from the pocket, the armed snatched the entire amount, i.e. Rs 9,700. The looters also slapped the handyman of the bus on his face twice.After the incident, a report had been lodged with the Nezugate police check post and subsequent to the message of the report given to the Chumukedima Police Station by the Nagaland police personnel present at the Nezugate check post, the driver was taken to the police station for recording his statement. Perhaps, as a consequent of the message relayed by the police station, the ill-fated passenger bus which arrived here at around 3 pm today had not been stopped by any check post for entry all along its returning journey.However, the State police have maintained that no report of looting the passenger bus has been received.It may be recalled here that similar incident of looting 10 passenger buses coming to Imphal from Nagaland by unidentified armed persons at around 4.30 am of February 15 had been reported by this paper.Meanwhile, a bus of the Mega Tours and Travels bearing registration no. MN01-1075 reportedly suffered damaged when uniden- tified miscreants pelted stone at Tadubi in Senapati at around 4 am yesterday.According to information received from the ticketing counter of the travel agency here, the wind shields of the bus have been damaged in the attack which occurred while coming to Imphal from Mao.