Nirakarpur: A bus carrying several passengers was forcibly stopped by some persons over extortion demands near Badapokharia chhak on National Highway-16 in Khurda district, a source said Thursday.
According to the source, the alleged anti-social persons stopped the bus from 5:30am to 9am Wednesday demanding money.
Later, 19 more buses plying between Berhampur and Bhubaneswar-Cuttack on the route were stuck for more than 4 hours causing inconvenience to the passengers.
On being informed, cops reached the spot and took control of the situation. Subsequently, the bus services resumed to normal.
Afterwards, the bus owners’ association lodged an FIR at Jankia police station alleging that the buses were stopped on the road illegally.
According to a bus owner, in the last few days, certain people have been extorting money from private buses at Badapokharia Chhak. The culprits stopped the buses at the same spot Wednesday as well.
Bus owners alleged that police inaction has led to such problems even though extortion incidents are happening repeatedly.
When contacted, Jankia police station in-charge Prajna Ritambhara Kar said that an investigation was underway based on the FIR.
PNN
