Theft of school bus from Jammu border creates panic

Panic gripped the RS Pura sector along the India Pakistan international border in Jammu when an unidentified group of people stole a private school bus after beating the watchman. "The watchman of a private school told us last night that three unidentified men approached him and said that they had come from across the border and need something to eat," a police officer said.

He said when the watchman told the "unidentified men" that he had no food they asked for some money. "But when the watchman told them that he had no money with him, they first beat him and then tied him with ropes and decamped with the school bus," he said.

The officer said that soon after getting the information, the police along with Army launched a massive manhunt to trace the missing vehicle, which was later located a few kilometers away on a road. "This seems to be a case of theft but they could not go a long with the bus so they abandoned it here, we have launched a manhunt to trace them," he said.

The residents of the border belt were seen in panic soon after they came to know about the incident as in the past terrorists have used hijacked vehicles in Jammu to carry out their nefarious activities.