Telangana man steals govt bus, escapes after collecting fare; arrested

Hyderabad: The Telangana Police have arrested the man who stole a bus here while the passengers were still on board, police said on Tuesday

The man stole the bus, which is attached to the state owned transport corporation, and escaped after collecting fare from passengers, police said.

The incident took place when Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (TSRTC) bus had stopped for dinner break at Siddipet bus stop on Monday. The vehicle was moving from Sircilla towards Jubilee Bus Station.

The accused, after seeing that the driver had gone for dinner, had boarded the bus and occupied the drivers' seat and drove away.

The original driver was shocked to see the bus having disappeared and informed the higher authorities. The accused had taken the bus to a bay where the passengers waited to travel to Hyderabad.

The thief claimed that his bus was going towards Hyderabad and collected fare from them. Several people boarded the bus. When asked for the conductor, the driver stated that he would join him later.

As the accused drove the vehicle recklessly, the passengers grew suspicious about him. At Jillella Crossroad in Sircilla district, the bus ran out of fuel. The accused quickly got down from the bus and disappeared before the passengers could realize what was happening.

Following the complaint by the TSRTC officials, the Siddipet police began an investigation and tracked the bus. After collecting the videos of the accused from the passengers, the police managed to track the accused and detained him.

Further details are awaited regarding the case. The identity of the accused is yet to be announced by the police.