Pune:
Five young men from a group of eight who allegedly stole a PMPML bus from the Kothrud depot for a joyride, were arrested on Sunday.
They have been identified as Omkar Sanjay Kengle (18), Pradeep Bapu Gade (23), Hrushikesh Tukaram Bodke (23), Sagar Baburao Jadhav (21) and Pranit Ashok Chavan (20), all residents of Kothrud. Taking suo motu action, the Kothrud police station lodged a case and charged the five under Section 379 (theft).
Constable Pranay Sandeep Sankpal said, "The suspects, who were students of a reputable Kothrud-based educational institute, were seen riding the bus in front of Cafe Durga on Paud Road in a very rash manner around 2 am on Sunday. Realising that PMPML buses do not ply at that hour, we tried to stop them but the boys did not pay heed to us. Finally, we managed to intercept the bus and arrest the suspects near the Krishna hospital."
While five students were then taken into custody, three youths managed to escape. "The police have also impounded the bus. During interrogation, the suspects confessed to having stolen the bus from Kothrud bus depot merely for a fun ride," said Sankpal.'
According to the police, the young men, most of whom come from humble backgrounds, were celebrating a friend's birthday on Saturday night. Once the party was over, they decided to go for a joy ride but the neither had bikes nor other vehicles. So they agreed to steal the bus, which was left unlocked in the depot, to fulfil their wish.
Joint Director General (PMPML) Satish Kulkarni said, "We have taken note of the incident. It has exposed the loopholes in the security of PMPML buses and depots. We will take a review of the situation and soon implement adequate security measures."
PMPML buses have been the target of anti-social elements for long. According to the police, the suspects held for stealing the bus from the Kothrud depot also took advantage of the fact that PMPML buses are not locked properly and have a simple button-start facility to get them going.