The driver and cleaner of a private bus made off with the luggage of 64 passengers who were on their way from Kerala to Assam and other places, the police said on Saturday. According to reports, the bus belongs to a Kerala-based private travels agency, Gang Boss Travels, and was bearing number KL-38-D-709 in white colour.

The incident occurred late Friday night near Narketpally in Telangana's Nalgonda district. When the bus belonging to a private operator had stopped at a hotel near Narketpally around 11 pm. The driver and cleaner told them that they were going to change one of the tyres and asked them to have dinner. All the passengers got down as per their instructions. However, later, the passengers kept waiting but the duo did not return.

Reports further add that the bus was initially planned to go through the route via Visakhapatnam, Orissa and West Bengal but later on, the driver changed the route and came via Telangana. The bus stopped for food at Narketpally and all the passengers were dropped off at Durga hotel. Despite a person getting into the bus for safety, he was made to get down a Choutuppal Toll Plaza. Enquiries are being made to see where the bus might have gone.

The passengers, who wereworking in Kerala, were going to their native places. They told the police that they had paid Rs 3,500 each to the travel agent. The passengers were all migrant workers and hailed from Bihar, West Bengal, Assam, and Nepal. Left stranded without their belongings, they approached Narketpally police station. Many of the passengers also had their jewellery in their luggage, they told the police. 

The police have registered a case and began investigations. Local Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) Cherumurthy Lingaiah made arrangements for the night halt of the stranded passengers at GSR function hall in Narketpally and arrangements are being made for another bus for passengers to travel to their homes.

(With IANS inputs)

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