IMPHAL, February 11: A driver of a diesel oil tanker of the state and his handyman were found dead, mysteriously with stab wounds from near a tea garden at Assam, this early morning. Their loaded tanker remains missing.
According to sources from the All Manipur Petroleum Tankers & Drivers Union and All Manipur Petroleum Transporters Union, Imphal, the driver has been identified as Sanjoy Thapa, 32 son of Dal Bahadur Thapa of Medigiphema Ghaspani, Nagaland while the handyman has been identified as Romesh Limbu, 19 son of Tiken Limbu of Pheidinga.
The missing tanker bearing regd number MN 01 7127 belong to Tanka Prasad of Kanglatombi Bazar Board Mandir Maning.
It is also learnt that around 6.40pm, some petrol and diesel tankers had filled fuel at Tinsukia. The missing tanker, which had also filled 20 KL of diesel, was the last in line among the tankers leaving for Imphal.
The sources also said that a person suspected to be one Minto from Khawang, Assam had stopped the tanker at a place just four km far from Tinsukia, Sibasagar district, Assam and asked for a lift.
However, after the tanker failed to turn up after picking the man, the other tankers waited for it, but it failed to turn up the whole night, the sources informed.
Later the dead bodies of the driver and the handyman were found this early morning around 6 with knife wounds from the roadside near a tea garden at Disha Rajbari, Sibasagar district.
However, the diesel tanker remains untraceable till late this evening, informed the sources.
Further according to the report, the Demo Police Station has registered a case in this regard.
Post mortem have been conducted on both bodies and will be handed over to the family members before February 13, informed the source.
Meanwhile, both All Manipur Petroleum Tankers & Drivers Union and All Manipur Petroleum Transporters Union, Imphal have strongly condemned the incident.
It is also learnt that the two transporters’ bodies will launch several agitations jointly with other transporters’ bodies of neighbouring Nagaland and Assam.
