A PRIVATELY-OPERATED bus with 34 passengers on board was hijacked by recovery agents of a finance company in Uttar Pradesh’s Agra on Wednesday morning, officials said. The incident took place in the Malpura police station area when the bus was en route to Panna in Madhya Pradesh from Gurgaon in Haryana, according to police. Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Awanish Awasthi said the bus driver, staff and passengers are safe.

“Regarding the bus incident in Agra, the finance company had illegally seized the bus. The driver, staff and passengers are safe. The bus owner died yesterday (Tuesday) and his son is conducting the last rites,” he said in a statement. However, the statement did not mention the whereabouts of the bus. Senior Superintendent of Police, Agra, Babloo Kumar said three people who got off the bus informed the police that representatives of the finance company had boarded the vehicle.