Posing as Motor Vehicle Inspectors (MVIs), five miscreants thrashed the driver and passengers of a private tourist bus and looted cash of over Rs 40,000 and gold from them near the Loknath tollgate at Jaleswar in Baleswar district on Saturday morning.
Police later nabbed all the accused.
The bus was en route to Puri carrying tourists after their Gangasagar visit when the miscreants intercepted it posing as MVIs. They asked the bus staffs to show documents and sought penalty from them. When the driver asked them for their ID cards, they thrashed him and looted Rs 10,000 from him.
Besides, the miscreants attacked and misbehaved with some passengers when they opposed their act. They also looted over Rs 30,000 and a gold chain from the tourists.
However, the passengers mustered courage and caught hold of two of them while three others escaped. Protesting against the incident, the tourists staged a blockade on NH-60 near the tollgate.
The Jaleswar police reached the spot and detained the two miscreants and later the three others. The bus driver and a woman passenger, who had sustained critical injuries in the attack, were admitted to the Jaleswar Government Hospital.