Maha: Miscreants steal ST bus in Latur, hit electric pole

A state transport bus wasallegedly stolen and damaged by unidentified miscreants whofled after ramming the vehicle into an electric pole inMaharashtra's Latur district, police said on Friday.

The matter came to light, when the driver of the busapproached the Aurad Shahjani police station in Nilanga onThursday night, an official said.

According to the police, the driver parked the busnear a rest room at Aurad bus stand for a night halt and wasasleep, when some miscreants decamped with the vehicle.

On finding the bus missing, a search was initiated,and the bus was found around 8 km away in Shelgi village,where it had been rammed into an electric pole, the officialsaid.

The bus is valued around Rs 20 lakh and the damagesare worth Rs 25,000, he said.

The police suspect that some drunk men may have triedto drive the bus to their village and fled after it hit theelectric pole, he said.

Based on a complaint, an offence under section 379(theft) and other relevant provisions of the IPC has beenregistered, he said, adding that a manhunt has been launchedfor the accused.