Mentally-unstable youth 'steals' bus, drives it from Mangalore to Udupi

Mangaluru: A youth, said to be mentally deranged, took a bus parked at Ullal near here and drove it to Udupi, nearly 65 km away, on Sunday, bewildering the bus owner and his relatives, police said. However, the owner’s friends and the police intercepted the bus near Udupi.

The youth was taken into custody by the Udupi police and took him to Ullal for further investigation, police sources said.

The youth who stole the bus was Mohammed Niphaz (20) working at a service station in Ullal, they said. The bus, running between Ullal and Mangaluru, was parked on Saturday night near the bus stand at Ullal.

Niphaz made use of the key left by the driver under his seat for the cleaner to clean the bus in the morning.

When the cleaner came in the morning, he was shocked to see the bus missing, the police said. He contacted the driver who informed the bus owner.

The baffled owner called the police only to learn that the bus was moving towards Udupi.

Police traced the bus after being alerted by the youth’s father that Niphaz was driving the bus to Udupi. The youth had earlier called his father to tell him that he was going to a holy place, by driving a bus.

The youth's father immediately informed the Ullal police who tracked the vehicle. The youth was brought back to Ullal by the police.

The bus has been damaged apparently after hitting dividers on the way, police sources said.