Malda, Aug. 27: Highway robbers raided a Siliguri-Calcutta bus early today and made away with cash and valuables worth Rs 2 lakh in the second strike in two weeks.

The North Bengal State Transport Corporation bus, which left Siliguri at 10 pm yesterday, was forced to halt at the 16 th Mile on National Highway 34, 325 km from Calcutta, around 2 am because of a tyre puncture caused by nails strewn on the road.

“As the conductors and drivers got off to get the tyre repaired, about eight to 10 armed robbers entered the bus and, whipping out improvised firearms and sharp weapons, asked passengers to hand over their belongings,” said a police official probing the case.

Passengers who attempted to resist were beaten up. The robbers left with the loot in 15 minutes.

Superintendent of police Dilip Mondal said a case was registered with the Kaliachalk police station on the basis of complaints from passengers.

“Around 65 passengers came to the police station in the same bus and lodged an FIR. We are probing if those who had earlier raided Calcutta-bound buses on NH 34 are involved,” he said. “Though no one has been arrested so far, a search is on and the neighbouring police stations have been alerted.”

Last week, a gang had raided a Calcutta-bound private bus on the same highway and escaped with cash and jewellery.

The passengers demanded that armed policemen be deployed. “I boarded the bus from Siliguri to attend a family function in Calcutta. I was not only robbed of my cash and a gold ring but manhandled by the robbers. Why isn’t there a provision of deploying police for security of passengers?” asked Barun Maity.

Parul Roy, who also took the bus from Siliguri, said: “Lack of police vigil is one of the main reasons for the current spate in road robberies.”

Senior officials accepted that absence of escorts on long-distance buses could be a reason behind the spate of such robberies.

“We must ensure deployment of escorts on long-distance buses to cope with the road robbers,” said an official of Kaliachalk police station.

Villagers blamed police inaction for the spurt in criminal activities along the highway.