The two lorry drivers from Omalur in the district were shot dead and 16 tonnes of onions and `80,000 looted by highway pirates in Uttar Pradesh.
According to sources, Thangaraj (28), of KN Pudur and Muniyan (38), of S Palayam, set off with a load of onions from Bangalore to Sultanpur in UP on October 5. Thangaraj was also the owner of the lorry and Muniyan was his assistant. Simultaneously, Nagaraj, a relative of Thangaraj, also took a load to UP .
Thangaraj and Nagaraj were reportedly in touch over mobile phone. But from October 7, the communication broke and eventually he came to know that Thangaraj and Muniyan were shot dead by pirates. The load of 16 tonnes onions and `80,000 were reportedly looted.
The bodies were kept at the Government Hospital in Sultanpuri in UP. The Salem District officials contacted their Sultanpur counterparts and the bodies were sent to Salem after the postmortem. The bodies arrived in Salem on Saturday in a van and last rites were performed in their respective villages.
Meanwhile, the Federation of Lorry Owners Association has decided to call upon the State Government to take steps to ensure the safety of drivers from Tamil Nadu, said the Federation Treasurer and Salem District Lorry Owners Association President V Chennakesavan. Speaking to Express, Chennakesavan said that nowadays the highway pirates have begun killing drivers and crew members unlike in the past where they would just aim for the valuables.
Tamil Nadu drivers were the prime targets of highway pirates. Hence, the lorries from the State started going in groups of about five lorries. But the criminals who come prepared would isolate the last lorry in a group and attack it , he said. Few weeks back a driver from the region was killed in Maharashtra. They are also planning to take up the issue with Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa.