KSRTC drivers nab thief, recover Rs 5 lakh in cash

NT Correspondent

Bengaluru: Two drivers of a Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) bus became real-life heroes after they caught a thief who was attempting to flee after stealing Rs 5 lakh in cash from a passenger's baggage, KSRTC said on Thursday.

The incident had taken place on Wednesday when a bus (KA-57 F 3975) on its way to Thirunallar stopped near Electronic City for lunch. A passenger sitting on a seat number 17-18 managed to steal Rs 5 lakh from a baggage belonging to a couple seated in seated number 29- 30.

However when the bus started moving again, the accused jumped at a signal where the bus slowed down due to traffic and started running. Sensing something fishy, one of the drivers, Somappa (T.no:6541) chased the accused and caught him. Another driver Manjunath (T.no:566), checked the person and recovered Rs 5 lakh in cash. The accused was handed over to the jurisdictional police.

The passenger couple, Thirumurugan and his wife, who had lost their money, expressed their heartfelt gratitude and happiness upon getting back their stolen money. Managing Director , KSRTC V Anbukumar, IAS, expressed his extreme happiness and commendation for the exceptional, praiseworthy and timely action of the bus staff. He remarked that their timely response and genuine concern to serve the passengers, will serve as a role model for others.