An RTC Express bus was reportedly stolen from Dharmavaram bus depot during the lunch hour on Friday, and despite a hot chase given by RTC officials, the accused hailing from Bengaluru, managed to flee with the vehicle for an hour.
The vehicle was finally intercepted near KIA Motors India cars manufacturing unit, nearly 40 km away at Erramanchi. The RTC officials informed the police which managed to apprehend the person, identified as Muzzammul Khan, 38. The bus and the accused were brought to Dharmavaram police station in the evening. RTC Regional Manager Sumanth R. Adoni said the bus had gone to drop migrant labourers and returned to the depot during lunch hour.
“The vehicle was outside the main gate of the depot, where the driver seems to have parked and gone for lunch and the accused got a chance to drive the vehicle away,” Mr. Sumanth said. An internal inquiry was being conducted if there was a security lapse or negligence on the part of the driver.
There was a lone woman security guard at the gate, who claimed that the bus was taken out of the depot and parked outside by the driver, when the incident took place. The accused seems to be in an inebriated condition when he was nabbed.
