IMPHAL, March 8: The Manipur State Taxi Service Association has announced a 48-hour bandh along the National Highway 2 from today 6pm protesting the killing of Tata driver Manas Ali alias Chotu of Sukhajan Village of Assam’s Karbi Along district.
Meanwhile, family members and the association claimed the body of the driver this noon following post mortem at the RIMS Morgue.
Asserting that the state has failed to secure the lives of the drivers plying along the highways, the association demanded establishment of a state Highway protection force at the earliest.
A press release of the association has said that members of the association will also stop their services.
The statement further appealed to the general public to cooperate with the association in condemning the gruesome murder; and demanded the government to find the culprits and book them under the law.
It has also urged the government to pay compensation to the next of kin of the driver.
The occurrence of nefarious activities like looting, kidnapping and harassing passengers along the highway occur mostly in between Kangpokpi and Mao, declared the statement.
The association will further prepare a memorandum to be submitted to the government in this regard, it said.
The body of driver Manas Ali who reportedly went missing after unidentified persons took him and his Tata Winger Van from North AOC on the pretext of hiring the van to drop a patient at Dimapur on February 22 was found yesterday at Molvom village hillock in Senapati district.