Daijiworld Media Network - Udupi (SP)

Udupi, Jul 21: A bus owned by Ratnakar Shetty from Mangalore that was parked at a petrol bunk on Friday July 18, was stolen at night. The bus has since been found at Koppa in Chikmagalur district.

It is said that the cleaner of bus, Ravi (30) from Umbalebail near Shimoga, who had joined for work three days back, drove away the bus. A few people noticed that the bus had crossed Udupi on Friday night at about 1 am. After the bus was found deserted near Venkateshwara Vidya Mandir Koppa on Chikmagalur road, people passed on information to Koppa police station. After the Manipal police received complaint about the missing bus, they contacted various police stations and found out that the bus was at Koppa.

It is suspected, that the cleaner who was fleeing with the bus, grew nervous at dawn and left the bus at Koppa. A jack of the bus which the cleaner had sold to a scrap merchant there has also been recovered.

Sources said that the said cleaner apparently stole the bus after he was not given his salary on time. Ravi was not a permanent cleaner in any bus and was working for different buses on part-time basis.