Thieves Steal PRTC Bus in Ludhiana, Strip Tyres and Batteries; Bus Found 21 Km Away

September 6, 2026

Ludhiana: In a bizarre incident, thieves allegedly stole a PRTC top-model bus from a parking area opposite the Ludhiana Bus Stand depot and later abandoned it around 21 km away after removing its tyres, batteries and other valuable parts.

The bus was found the next morning near Dhatt village, close to the Choukimaan Toll Plaza, where it had been left standing on bricks. The entire incident was captured on CCTV cameras.

Thieves Spent Two Hours Conducting Reconnaissance

According to the bus driver, CCTV footage shows a Bolero pickup arriving near the parking area around 12:30 a.m. on August 28, with seven to eight people inside. The suspects allegedly remained there for nearly two hours, apparently conducting reconnaissance before stealing the bus.

At around 2:20 a.m., when the roads were deserted, they allegedly drove the bus out of the parking area. Surprisingly, there was reportedly no entry made at the gate and no one stopped or questioned them.

Later, near the Jagraon Bridge, an auto-rickshaw and a scooter allegedly joined the bus and escorted it. The scooter reportedly moved ahead of the bus while reversing, helping the stolen vehicle disappear from the roads.

Thieves Target High-Tech BS-VI Bus

The stolen vehicle was a BS-VI (Phase 2-6) top-model bus, equipped with an advanced system that would normally make it difficult to start without a key.

According to the driver, the thieves broke the wires connected to the starting switch and started the bus directly. This has raised suspicions that the suspects may have had technical knowledge of the vehicle’s wiring and systems.

Bus Found on Bricks After Tyres, Batteries Removed

The next morning, around 7:30 a.m., the bus driver arrived for duty and was shocked to find the vehicle missing from the parking area. A search was immediately launched.

After several hours, the bus was traced to a location around 2 km behind the Choukimaan Toll Plaza, near Dhatt village.

When staff reached the spot, they found the bus standing on bricks. The thieves had allegedly removed the tyres, both batteries and starting wires. They also reportedly broke and took away the CCTV cameras installed inside the bus in an attempt to destroy evidence.

The owner has reportedly suffered a direct loss of around Rs 7-8 lakh in the incident.

PRTC Staff Await Police Action

Following the incident, PRTC staff have been visiting Police Station No. 5 and approached the SHO regarding the case.

Police said they have identified the registration number of the Bolero used by the suspects with the help of CCTV footage. However, no accused has been arrested so far.