Imphal, July 14 2009: A driver of an Imphal bound truck who was abducted by some armed miscreants yesterday from the NH-39 escaped from his abductors this morning, a report received here said.

The driver was allegedly abducted for ransom around a week after an Imphal bound truck ferrying equipments of the Airtel mobile service provider was set ablaze by miscreants at a place at Jhollapani, 25 km away from Dimapur towards Imphal.

Dimapur police said that the driver of the truck (MN01-6897) identified as Prem (33) of Saiton was abducted by the miscreants identified themselves to be activists of NSCN (Unification) after forcing the truck to stop at Purana Bazar area only three kilometer from Dimapur toward Imphal on the NH-39 yesterday evening.

He has been taken into captivity by the miscreants with a threatened to kill the driver, if failed to pay Rs two lakh to them.

The truck was however in safe condition after the second driver took it to the Dimapur police station with the report of abduction of the driver.

The truck was coming with dry fish (phabou) from Jagiroad.

The report further said that the abducted driver escaped from the captivity of the miscreants this morning and reported to the police.

Except some marked of beaten up to his body, the driver received no serious injury.

Meanwhile, Tomba, a spokesperson of the All Manipur Truck Drivers Welfare Association, he had met with the driver, Prem at the Dimapur police station.

Prem was strongly threatened to killed by shooting with gun apart from beaten up by the abductors, he said.

As narrated by Prem, after he was abducted from Purana Bazar, miscreants taken him to Burma Camp, then to a nearby forest area.

Taking advantage of the adbuctors drinking wine, he escaped from them.

The spokesperson further said that, Prem has been asked by the Nagaland police to leave the station and proceed as he would meet misfortunue if happen to intercept with the abductors again.

However, they are insisting the police to escort them upto Mao as they are feeling fear of happening untoward on the way to Imphal.

As truckers from Manipur are to proceed on the highway tomorrow, they are likely to proceed with them and proceed upto Mao where state security will once again escort them upto Imphal.

Even though some trucks plying on the Dimpaur-Kohima section of the NH-39 have been caused damage by miscreants, they have little knowledge on the incident as the vehicles are not from Manipur.

A truck carrying materials for the Airtel had been burnt down by miscreants at Jholahpani last weekend.

The trucked has Assam state registration number.

A week back there was an instant of taking captivity of six drivers by the NSCN(Unification).

Out of them, two are drivers of truck transporting fertilizers and the rest carrying phabou.

The NH-39 is no safer for trucks plying on this route.

Drivers are harassing by underground groups between Kohima and Dimapur.

Government neglected them, the drivers alleged.

They have urged the drivers welfare body to look into the matter whether they would continue plying on this route or not.

The body will decide in the next two or three days, the drivers added.

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