On 7 June 24, a private bus carrying passengers in Alipurduar heroically chased down a car and rescued two kidnapped girls. The girls had been abducted by a gang from a deserted state highway. Police have arrested four of the five kidnappers, thanks to the swift actions of the bus driver and passengers, who have been praised by senior police officials.
According to sources, two youths and two girls from the neighboring Cooch Behar district were returning from a visit to Alipurduar when they stopped at a roadside motel for lunch. While there, five boys on two motorcycles also arrived and ordered food, sitting at a separate table.
After lunch, around 4:30 pm, as the group headed towards Cooch Behar along the Sonapur-Hasimara state highway near Jaldapara National Park, the bikers intercepted their car, overpowered the youths, and forced the girls into the car. Three kidnappers drove off with the girls, while the other two followed on bikes.
Stranded on the deserted highway, the youths flagged down a bus heading towards Cooch Behar from Jaigaon. After hearing their story, the bus driver and passengers decided to help. The bus quickly located and overtook the car, forcing it to stop.
“We usually don’t stop in forest areas, but I felt the girls were really in trouble,” said the driver, who wished to remain anonymous. The passengers disembarked, found the girls in the car, and confronted the kidnappers. Three fled on bikes, but the passengers apprehended the remaining two and handed them over to the police at the Sonapur outpost.
Police interrogation of the captured kidnappers led to the arrest of two more gang members later that night, while one remains at large. A senior police officer revealed that the gang had been involved in snatching and robbery on the highway.
“We thank the bus driver and the passengers. Thanks to their efforts, we were able to apprehend four members of the gang. Our team is actively searching for the fifth suspect,” said the officer. One of the rescued girls, a minor, has been handed over to the district’s child welfare committee.
