
PALAKKAD: In a bizarre incident, an unidentified man managed to drive off with a KSRTC bus parked near the town depot in the early hours of the day. The theft occurred right under the noses of transport employees, who watched the vehicle pull away before realising what was happening. The bus, which operates on the Palakkad–Thrissur route, was later found abandoned near Mangalam Towers in front of the Town Bus Stand.
The vehicle, a Town-to-Town service bus with the registration number RNE 857, had completed its daily run and arrived back at the depot around 9:30 PM last night. Following a routine inspection by the mechanical department, it was parked outside the depot premises, right in front of a local liquor outlet.
The early morning joyride turned chaotic as the driver struggled to control the heavy vehicle. During the short-lived heist, the bus was driven recklessly, crashing into several compound walls and a roadside biryani shop, causing noticeable damage to property.
The identity of the culprit remains unknown. The Town South Police have registered a case and initiated a full-scale investigation, actively scanning local CCTV footage to track down the mysterious driver in the white shirt.