Imphal, September 05: A girl was brutally raped and many other young girls and women molested and beaten up in a beastly way by well armed suspected militants today early morning inside Manipur bound passenger buses in between Jupja and Pepema.

The Royal Rajdhani passenger bus was coming from Guwahati towards Imphal.

The place is about one hour's drive from Dimapur and 27 kms away from Kohima.

According to eye witnesses well armed suspected militants numbering more than ten and four of them in combat dress stopped two trucks in between Jupja and Pepema.

A little later around 1 am today early morning three passenger buses were also coming towards Imphal when they were stopped by the militants.

The suspected militants after some time allowed the two trucks to move ahead.

The militants then started searching the three passenger vehicles and took away all the money from the passengers.

They even beat up some women and kicked on their faces also.

Two ASTC vehicles one of which bore the registration number MN 01-1141 were also allowed to go away after detaining for about an hour.

The ill fated last bus of the Royal Rajdhani Night Super bus bearing registration number MN 01-1384 which is a new bus was however detained.

There were 16 passengers on the bus, ten were Imphal bound, two got down at Dimapur, and two were to get down at Senapati and one at Kohima.

There were three women on the bus.

The unknown armed persons than took away the key from the driver and took the bus to a place about 300 m from the National Highway 39.A married woman with her husband was sitting in the rear seat.

Two girls aged between 19 to 21 were seating in the front rows.

The miscreants tried to pull down a girl.

The girl resisted and shouted for help.

She was holding on the main entrance bar with all her strength.

Her companion than tried to intervene and requested the person not to take away the girl.

The armed persons than entered inside the bus and started misbehaving with the girl who was trying to help.

A person than came forward and raped her before the very eyes of all the passengers.

She yelled a loud asking for help.

About four armed persons were inside the bus watching the movement of other passengers.

They molested the other girl meanwhile.

After sometime they allowed the bus to move and the bus started to move towards Imphal.

Some passengers pointed out that they had faced similar instances when they were traveling on the same route at night.

The passenger buses should not operate at night specially inside Nagaland they pointed out.

Looting of passengers and harassment have become a routine and normal feature but such ghastly act committed inside a bus is unimaginable they observed.

The passenger buses should not be allowed to move from Guwahati at 3 pm and drive fast to reach Imphal.