“We Paid Rs. 2,000, Still Got Stopped”: Stranded Truckers Seek Justice

Truck drivers stranded along the Silchar-Manipur National Highway have alleged that personnel claiming to be from Banshkandi Police Station collected Rs. 2,000 from each truck by promising to help the vehicles cross towards the Manipur border.

The trucks and other Manipur-bound vehicles have reportedly been stranded on the Silchar-Manipur National Highway for nearly a month due to the volatile situation in Manipur. The prolonged blockage has left the drivers facing a severe shortage of food.

According to the drivers, around 40 to 50 trucks were stopped near Ujan Tarapur in the Banshkandi area on the night of August 16. They alleged that four men in police uniform and another person in civilian clothes collected the money from the stranded vehicles.

The drivers said some payments were made in cash, while others were made through UPI. One driver alleged that the person who collected the payment was identified as Haidullah Rahman Chowdhury, according to the UPI transaction details.

The drivers said they agreed to pay the amount after being told that the vehicles would be allowed to proceed towards Jirighat and cross the state border. However, after reaching Jirighat, the vehicles were allegedly stopped again by police and were not allowed to proceed towards Manipur.

The drivers then reportedly informed Jirighat Police about the Rs. 2,000 payments, following which tension developed among those stranded on the highway.

The truckers said they have been stranded along the highway for nearly a month because of the ongoing unrest in Manipur. They also claimed that the prolonged disruption has created serious difficulties, including shortages of food and other essential supplies for drivers and transport workers.

The drivers have appealed to the Cachar Senior Superintendent of Police and Assam Minister Kaushik Rai to take the allegations seriously and order a proper investigation.

At this stage, the allegations remain claims made by the affected truck drivers. Any responsibility of Banshkandi Police personnel can only be established through an impartial investigation and verification of the alleged payments, identities and circumstances surrounding the incident.