Bhandup Shocker: 15-Year-Old Vandal Smashes BEST Bus, Autos With Iron Rod In Second Such Incident In 4 Months

In a shocking incident, a 15-year-old minor accused allegedly stopped a BEST bus and two auto-rickshaws on Tank Road in Bhandup and smashed their windshield at 9:30 PM on July 11. This alarming incident marks the second time in just four months that a BEST bus has been vandalized by minor accused on this very stretch of road in Bhandup West. The Police have apprehended the accused minor and sent him to a juvenile correctional facility.

According to the police, Santosh Ramesh Sawant, 52, a BEST bus driver at the Vikhroli bus depot, was operating BEST bus route number 606, (MH 01 AP 0850) with bus conductor Somnath Raje, 41. They departed from Bhandup Station (West) at 9:22 PM and were headed towards Nardas Nagar.

As the bus was passing through Tank Road at 9:30 PM, a 15-year-old accused, residing in Champabai Compound, Kashinagar, Tank Road, Bhandup West, approached the bus carrying an iron rod in front of the Triveni Sangam Building. 

Armed with an iron rod, the accused first attacked two auto-rickshaws (MH 03 DC 9872 and MH 03 CG 3380), smashing their windshield. He then turned his aggression towards the BEST bus (MH 01 AP 0850), breaking its front windshield with the rod. Following this, he attempted to board the bus.

Panicked passengers inside the bus began screaming, prompting the vandal to abandon his attempt. He then struck the bus bonnet with the rod before fleeing into a nearby slum. Bus conductor Raje immediately alerted bus inspector Devendra Ramdavar Singh, 56, and dialed 100 for police assistance.

The Bhandup police rushed to the scene, initiated an inquiry, and began their investigation. Both auto-rickshaw drivers sustained injuries from the broken glass and were admitted to a nearby hospital.

The police have recorded statements from BEST bus driver Sawant and the two auto-rickshaw drivers. A case has been registered under sections 125 and 270 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) Act and Section 3 of the Maharashtra Prevention of Defacement of Property Act.

Previous Incident:

This incident mirrors a previous one on April 19 at 3:15 PM on Tank Road in Bhandup West. A 16-year-old accused, with a prior police record and residing in the Triveni Sangam Building, allegedly verbally abused BEST bus driver Dnyaneshwar Rathod,42, and attacked him with a sword near Miniland Society on Tank Road. 

Subsequently, he used the sword to smash the front windshield of the BEST bus. After vandalizing the BEST bus, he also shattered the windows of a tanker and several auto-rickshaws with the sword. 

The Police investigation revealed that the accused, while in a field with his associates, was scolded by his uncle, which angered him and led to the vehicle vandalism. This accused has three cases registered against him in the Bhandup police records, including attempted murder and grievous assault.