A late-night joyride in a stolen private bus came to an abrupt, muddy halt in Koyilandy, leading to the arrest of a 21-year-old youth. The police apprehended the main suspect, identified as Abhinav, a resident of Puthalathukunnu in Panthalayani, while a hunt is underway for his two accomplices.

The incident unfolded in the early hours of Tuesday, around 3 am, when the trio managed to steal a private bus named 'Xeno' from the Koyilandy bus stand. The bus, owned by Kuruvangad resident Salahuddin, regularly services the Kozhikode-Koyilandy route. It had been parked on the Perambra track around 9 pm on Monday after completing its daily runs.

CCTV footage recovered by the investigators revealed that the suspects started the bus and initially drove towards Kozhikode before turning back towards Koyilandy. However, their joyride was cut short between Poyilkavu and Chengottukavu. While trying to shift from the bypass to a service road, the driver lost control, steering the heavy vehicle straight into deep roadside mud. The bus tilted precariously against the compound wall of a nearby house, rendering it completely immovable.

Realising they were stuck, the suspects abandoned the vehicle and fled. The next morning, local residents spotted the tilted bus and alerted both the owner and the authorities. To make matters worse, it was found that the daily collection cash kept inside the bus had been stolen. It took two cranes and a major effort to pull the bus out. Koyilandy Sub-Inspector A Kiran and his team tracked down and arrested Abhinav. He has since been produced before the court and remanded to the Koyilandy sub-jail for 14 days, as the search intensifies for the remaining two suspects.