Kollam: A youth attempted to drive home a parked KSRTC (Kerala State Road Transport Corporation) bus at the bus station in Punalur. The accused, Bineesh Kumar (23), a native of Urukunnu, Thenmala, arrived at the Punalur bus stand around midnight on Thursday to board a bus to his house.
Following an extended period of waiting with no bus arriving on his route, Bineesh, who works as a lorry driver, noticed a KSRTC bus parked nearby. The vehicle, a Venad ordinary bus with the registration number RAA 121, was parked on the roadside as its service was scheduled to start early the next day. In the dimly lit area, Bineesh boarded the bus and took the driver's seat. Being familiar with driving heavy vehicles, he managed to drive the bus with ease.
He drove past the big bridge parallel to the hanging bridge in Punalur at high speed when a highway police vehicle noticed the bus being driven without headlights. The police officers signalled for the bus to stop, but Bineesh did not comply and instead took a detour along Aykkarakonam road.
After driving for about a mile, he stopped the bus, jumped out, and attempted to flee. However, the police officers quickly apprehended Bineesh. The Punalur police registered a case against him for attempting to steal a bus worth Rs 30 lakh, and he was subsequently remanded. A police officer stated that the bus would be released to the KSRTC after completing the necessary official procedures.
