Imphal: Strongly condemning the thrashing of a driver providing passenger service at Imphal-Moreh road by the armed miscreants suspected to be underground cadres, drivers plying along the route staged a sit-in-protest at Sora Bazaar in Kakching district on Wednesday demanding action.
According to sources, the incident took place on Tuesday when an Eco Van driver was asked to pay a tax of Rs 250 by some individuals standing at the usual tax collection point for Kuki militants at Chamol village, also known as Zero, in Tengnoupal district.
When the driver refused to pay the amount, the armed miscreants asked him to give them Rs 100. The driver was severely thrashed after he refused to pay them, the sources said.
The injured driver has been identified as Md Abdul Hakim (30) of Sora Bazaar in Kakching district.
According to the victim, he headed for Imphal from Moreh without passengers on Tuesday at around 7 pm. Upon reaching Tengnoupal, armed miscreants asked him to pay Rs 250 as tax. He told the miscreants that he could not pay the tax as he was heading without passengers and goods. The armed miscreants then asked him to pay Rs 100 instead. After he told them that he could not pay the lesser amount also, the armed miscreants thrashed him.
Reacting to the incident, drivers employed in passenger service along Imphal-Moreh road staged a sit-in-protest at Sora Bazaar on Wednesday.
The protestors also formed a ‘Joint Action Committee Against Brutal Torture of Md. Abdul Hakim’ in connection with the incident. The committee has resolved to block Imphal-Moreh road indefinitely if the culprits are not arrested by 6 am on October 7 (Friday), the sources said.
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