Bhopal, September 23 (Pervez Bari):A physically challenged youth giving two hoots to the high security arrangements at the Bhopal airport drove away the staff bus of the Jet Airways. However, he was caught and the bus recovered after half-an-hour chase when he rammed the bus into an iron pole.
Twenty-year-old Shahid, the polio-struck accused, not only penetrated the high security zone at the new terminal of Raja Bhoj Airport but drove away a staff bus of the airport parked at the terminal on Wednesday. The bus was later seized and Shahid was arrested after the CISF personnel gave a hot chase for about two kilometers. The accused has been booked for theft. However, the incident has raised serious questions regarding the security of the airport. Some commuters were injured in the incident.
According to police sources the Tata 407 mini bus bearing registration No. MP-04-TK 0179 was parked at the new terminal of the airport and it suddenly started moving around 10 am. At first, the CISF personnel thought that it may be the driver of the bus, who was taking the bus somewhere. They sprang into action when the driver of the bus raised an alarm. However, till then, the bus had crossed the airport premises. Getting the information, the Gandhi Nagar police station also started chasing the bus. The bus hit some motorcyclists on the road and they too joined the procession of bus chasers.
Near, Bairagarh crossing, the bus stopped after the driver rammed the bus into an iron pole erected for stopping the entry of heavy vehicles. The driver was nabbed by the police when he tried to escape from the spot. The accused was suffering from polio disease and was later identified as Shahid.
The surprising aspect of the incident is that the youth who drove away the Jet Airways bus is physically challenged and yet managed to drive the heavy vehicle, operating the brakes and the accelerator with just one leg as the other is crippled due to polio. He walks on crutches.
Shahid reportedly claimed to policemen on being probed initially that when he sat on the driver’s seat the bus started moving. On the way he had grazed a few vehicles until he was nabbed.
According to SSP of Bhopal Yogesh Chaudhary the police are trying to know his past criminal record and are investigating as to how he managed to enter the airport even after high security arrangements. (pervezbari@eth.net)