In a major breakthrough, Amravati Police recovered a Shivshahi bus worth ₹1.53 crore that was stolen from Nagpur’s Imamwada Bus Stand and arrested a suspected interstate vehicle thief within 24 hours of the theft.The accused, Vishnu Ganpati Nilawar (23), a resident of Hayatnagar in Telangana’s Rangareddy district, was arrested by the Rajapeth Police after a swift operation.
According to police, the luxury Shivshahi bus (MH-49 BH-8258) was parked at Imamwada Bus Stand for charging on the night of July 1 when it was allegedly stolen. A theft case was registered at Ganeshpeth Police Station, and an investigation was launched.Acting on a tip-off, Rajapeth Police personnel Sarang Adamane and Vijay Dhurve traced the stolen bus to the Nanda Market area in Amravati. The vehicle was recovered, and the accused was arrested from Gadre Chowk.During interrogation, the accused allegedly confessed to stealing the bus from Nagpur.
Police said he also claimed to have stolen nearly 20 buses from Telangana, Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh and Nanded, pointing to the possible involvement of an organised interstate vehicle theft racket.Investigators said the accused allegedly dismantled stolen buses after theft, removing valuable parts such as batteries, tyres and brake discs for sale in the black market before abandoning the remaining vehicle.
Police added that several vehicle theft cases have already been registered against the accused in different states.The recovered Shivshahi bus has been handed over to the Nagpur Police along with the accused for further investigation. Officials are now probing whether he acted alone or was part of a larger gang involved in stealing and dismantling commercial passenger buses across multiple states.
The operation was carried out under the guidance of Commissioner of Police Rakesh Ola, Deputy Commissioner of Police Shyam Ghughe, Assistant Commissioner of Police Sanjay Khatale and Rajapeth Police Station Senior Police Inspector Sandeep Chavan along with their investigation team.
Police believe the arrest could help expose a larger interstate network involved in the theft and illegal dismantling of passenger buses and other heavy commercial vehicles.
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