Police in Maharashtra's Beed district are on high alert after a shocking incident of highway robbery was captured on camera. Footage from a bus's rear camera shows a gang of bike-borne thieves brazenly looting passenger luggage from the moving vehicle on the busy Solapur-Dhule highway.
The Daring Mid-Journey Heist
The audacious theft occurred recently on the stretch between Pachod and Yedshi. The CCTV footage reveals the gang's modus operandi: suspects on a motorcycle tailed a private travel bus. In a dangerous maneuver, the pillion rider stood on the shoulders of the biker and clambered onto the bus's rear ladder while it was at speed.
Once securely on the back of the vehicle, the thief forced open the rear luggage compartment. He then began hurling bags and suitcases onto the road, where accomplices following behind quickly collected the loot and fled with the stolen valuables.
Police Response and Rising Crime Trend
Beed Superintendent of Police Navneet Kanwat stated that the police have taken serious note of the incident. In response, authorities have ordered intensified patrolling and surveillance along the national highway to detect the culprits and prevent such criminal activities.
Police sources indicate this is not an isolated case. There has been a worrying increase in similar robberies and bag thefts from halted or slow-moving travel buses in recent weeks. Gangs have been reported to stop vehicles or target buses parked outside closed roadside eateries, sometimes threatening travellers with knives or other sharp weapons before escaping with cash, jewellery, and luggage.
Coordinated Crackdown and Public Advisory
A coordinated campaign has been launched to track down the gang. Inspector Ashok Mudiraj explained that patrolling has been ramped up significantly. Furthermore, instructions have been issued to local hotels and eateries to ensure their CCTV cameras are functional at all times.
"Hotel and eatery operators have been told to alert us immediately if they notice any suspicious movement. We are working on all leads to identify this gang," Inspector Mudiraj said.
According to police, the gangs employ various methods:
- When buses halt for meals, a member hides on the roof before departure and throws bags down to accomplices.
- At toll plazas or uphill stretches where buses slow down, thieves jump off and flee.
- As seen in the footage, they tail moving buses on bikes, climb aboard, and steal luggage mid-journey.
- Travellers resting in halted vehicles near closed eateries are threatened with weapons and robbed.
The police have issued a strong advisory to passengers. They urge people to remain vigilant, avoid keeping valuables in external luggage compartments, and report any suspicious activity immediately. Officials also recommend avoiding stops at isolated spots and ensuring belongings are kept secure.
The investigation is actively underway, with police teams scanning CCTV footage from along the highway and coordinating with hotel staff, eatery owners, toll plaza operators, and local informers to trace the notorious gang.
