Bus owners demand driver's release
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, August 09 2016:
The United Bus Owners Welfare Association
of Manipur has demanded unconditional release of the second
driver who was arrested by security forces from Tendongyang in
connection with seizure of explosives from a passenger bus oper-
ating on Imphal-Senapati route yesterday.
Speaking to media persons at the MG Avenue office of the
All Manipur Road Transport Drivers and Motor Workers
Union, United Bus Owners Welfare Association of Manipur
general secretary B Dhanabir said that transporters have no
idea about the luggages carried by passengers nor do they
have any right to open and check the luggages.
Around 40 rice bags of 50 Kg capacity were loaded in the
particular bus from Khoyathong Pukhri Achouba Mapal park-
ing and around 60 passengers were on board.
Owners of all the rice bags came out when enquired except
for a smaller bag which had just around 20 Kgs of rice which
also contained a bag.
The transporters had no idea to whom
the particular bag belonged, Dhanabir said.
The driver, the second driver and the handyman did not
load the particular bag in the bus after knowing that it con-
tained bomb.
As such, the arrested second driver namely Watham
Johnson alias Bungcha (26) of Thangmeiband Watham Leirak
should be released without any condition, Dhanabir urged.
He also appealed to the individual(s) who loaded the par-
ticular rice containing bomb in the bus.
If Johnson is not released at the earliest, transporters would
be compelled to launch different forms of agitation.