Imphal, September 01 2009: Driver of a passenger bus was shot dead by miscreant while he was driving the bus this evening at about 5.30.Decrying the incident of killing the driver on duty, passenger service on the Imphal-Churachnadpur road will be suspended tomorrow.

The slain driver was identified as Ngashepam Ngongo (28) son of Mani of Nambol Thangtek and the shooting incident took place at Phoubakchao Ekhai Bazar along the Tidim road.

He was the driver of a 709 canter bus bearing registration no.MN-01-1397 servicing along the Imphal-Churachandpur road.

The owner of the bus is identified as Salam Sangai of Thinungei and proceeding towards Churachnadpur from Imphal with passenger this evening.

An unknown person step into the bus when the bus was stopping for stepping down passenger at Phoubakchao and shot at to the driver at point blank at the head, report said adding he succumbed to bullet injury at the seat where he is sitting.

With regard to the incident, police registered a case and taken the dead body at Moriang police station for postmortem examination which would be conducted at RIMS morgue tomorrow.

Decrying the killing of the drive, drivers of the buses plying along the Imphal-Churachandpur road have decided to cease work tomorrow in protest against the killing.

Mention may be made that the same place where the driver was killed today, on August 23 also, miscreants had attacked a passenger bus (Panthoibi Express) with guns and even attempted to torch the vehicle.