Youths fined Rs 10K for stealing PMPML bus

A Shivajinagar Court on Monday convicted five people, including four students, for stealing a PMPML bus from Kothrud Depot and then taking it for a joyride.

The incident had taken place last year when the offenders, while celebrating a birthday, had stolen the parked bus and driven away.u00a0

The magistrate sentenced the five persons to imprisonment till the magistrate was on the dais, and also imposed a fine of Rs 10,000 on each of the convicts.

The accused - Pradeep Gade (23), Omkar Kengale (18), Hrushikesh Bodke (23), Sagar Jadhav (21) and Pranit Chavan (20), - are residents of Kothrud, and are students at a prominent college.

Judicial Magistrate (First Class) Sawroop Bose, while delivering the order, said that considering the age and keeping in mind the future of the accused, the given punishment will suffice.

B'day celebration
Police said that the five accused were celebrating Chavan's birthday on May 1, 2011, when they decided to steal the bus and take it on a joyride through the city in the night.

They were driving towards MIT College when police constables from Kothrud police station sensed something amiss, and gave chase to the bus. The bus was intercepted near Durga CafÃ©. Later, a case was registered against all five youths at Kothrud police station.u00a0