DADU, March 30 Highwaymen hijacked a passenger coach on the Dadu-Sehwan section of the Indus Highway near Khudabad late on Monday night.

The Hyderabad-bound coach was intercepted near Buriro waterway by about 15 highwaymen who robbed the passengers of cash, gold ornaments and other valuables worth Rs1 million.

The robbers left the coach at a place three kilometres from Buriro Shakh and fled after firing in the air.

The passengers held a demonstration on the highway and blocked it for three hours.

They said that the bandits held the passengers hostage for two hours and looted them. They said that a police party arrived there only to complete formalities.

The passengers said that at the same place 15 robberies had taken place in recent days. DPO Dadu Ghazi Salahuddin assured the passengers that the highwaymen would be arrested and looted cash and gold ornaments would be recovered.

ARRESTED A security guard of a private bank and a driver were arrested on Tuesday in connection with Rs1.7 robbery.

Cashier of Mehar branch of a private bank Ghulam Abbas Alvi, security guard Ghulam Murtaza Bhatti and driver Mumtaz Chandio were going to the National Bank to deposit Rs1.7 million when five robbers intercepted the car and robbed them of cash and escaped.

Police arrested the security guard and the driver Mumtaz Chandio.

Police recorded statements of operational manager and five employees of the private bank branch.

Talking to journalists, the DPO of Dadu said the robbery had been committed in connivance with the bank staff.

Meanwhile, DPO has issued show cause notices to 160 police personnel and withheld salaries of 46 others for negligence in duty.

The personnel are from Dadu, Mehar, Khairpur Nathan Shah, Radhan, Thariri Mohabbat, Johi, Drigh Bala, Tando Rahim and Fareedabad police stations. They are accused of remaining absent from duty.