The charred Bolero at the Nagrakata police station on Thursday. Picture by Biplab Basak

Lataguri, June 12: A 72-year-old Calcuttan today recounted how a group of alleged Gorkha Janmukti Morcha supporters attacked him and five other tourists and burnt down their hired jeep while they were returning from Chapramari forest to Lataguri last evening.

Bimal Nandan of Bhowanipore had to walk 3km through the forest in the dark to take shelter in the Khunia beat office. “It was a terrifying experience,” he said.

The elderly man was the only one among a group of 12 tourists staying at Tapoban Resort in Lataguri who was willing to speak about the incident in which two vehicles were attacked and nine of them were injured. The others have locked the doors and windows of their rooms and are refusing to come out.

“It was around 6pm and seven of us, including the driver and a guide, were travelling in a Bolero, while a Spacio with more tourists was ahead of us. When we reached Khunia More, a few youths started throwing stones at the two vehicles,” said Nandan.

The youths were reportedly trying to enforce the Morcha bandh in the area, which falls within the territory marked by the hill party as Gorkhaland.

“The driver of the Spacio, though injured, managed to drive away but we were caught. The youths were armed with daggers. The windows and windshield were shattered. We got off and pleaded with the youths to let us go with the vehicle, but they were adamant and set the Bolero on fire.”

All the passengers, including two elderly couples from Calcutta — Saroj and Indira Sinha and Amal and Sulekha Ghosh — suffered cuts from shards of glass. The seven walked to the beat office and were given shelter by the forest staff. “We were taken to the Mangalbari health centre and I returned to the resort around 10pm,” said Nandan.

The manager of the resort, Bikash Bose, said: “In the Spacio, Sharmishtha Das, Tapash Pal and two women were injured.”

The incident has created an atmosphere of terror in Lataguri. No one is ready to venture outside the town.

“We cancelled out trip to Jaldapara Wildlife Sanctuary today. We hope we can board Kanchankanya Express safely on Saturday,” said Nandan.