Kaksa (Burdwan), April 7 :    Kaksa (Burdwan), April 7:  Dacoits hijacked a bus deep into forests near Ilambazaar on Saturday and decamped with Rs 15 lakh, making a mockery of the police patrols on the Panagarh-Mourigram national highway. Seven dacoits armed with daggers, knives and country-made revolvers - posing as passengers - had boarded a Burdwan-bound bus at Ilambazaar. After some time, a mobile van from the Kaksa police station had stopped the bus for a routine check. 'The policemen did not board the bus, but just peered through the windows. After chatting with the driver, they waved the bus past,' said a visibly upset Nazrul Mondal, who lost several lakhs. Soon, the passengers heard the driver cry out. 'A dacoit had threatened the driver with a dagger. Other members of the gang asked us to keep our heads down,' said a passenger. 'A little later, we were in the notorious Ilambazaar forest.' The dacoits then took away valuables. Those who tried to resist were beaten up. Kaksa police rescued the passengers after local villagers alerted the authorities. A large police contingent has been posted at Jangalmahal and Ilambazaar. 'The dacoits had fled in the cover of darkness,' said additional superintendent of police K.L. Meena. The district police authorities have asked the Kaksa police to conduct an inquiry. But officer-in-charge of Kaksa police station Sadhan Banerjee said it was 'just a case of snatching'. The businessmen, however, alleged that the dacoits were indeed hand-in-glove with the police. 'They seemed to know us individually and had prior information that we would carry a lot of money,' said Yusuf Kureshi, who along with Md Taslimuddin, was stabbed by the dacoits.