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Pune rampage: How it unfolded

Upon speaking to the seniors, he was told that there were two spare drivers available and it was not possible to let him start early.

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Bus driver Santosh Maruti Mane,  is a 41-year-old who hails from Solapur. He is attached to Swargate depot since 2009 and lives alone in Swargate depot restroom. The hijacked bus MH-14-BT-1532 belonged to the Satara depot.

Mane worked on the Gangapur-Swargate route, his native place falls on the same route. Reports say that Mane went to Gangapur on January 23 and returned late next night. This morning, Mane went to the depot at around 8am and asked to start earlier than his usual reporting time -- 10.15am. Upon speaking to the seniors, he was told that there were two spare drivers available and it was not possible to let him start early.

Meanwhile, a bus had come in from Satara ad was parked in the depot. Driver Santosh Hendre from Satara alighted from the bus to make an arrival entry and left the bus vacant. At around 8.15am, Mane got in the bus and started the bus with a common key.

Heading towards the exit gate, Mane dashed into a passenger and into a bus. Hendre, alongwith traffic controller Ajit Limaye ran behind him. Taking a right turn at the gate, Mane mowed down a rickshaw and a fruit handcart. People tried stopping Mane but he sped away.

He drove towards Golibar Maidan, East Street, Solapur bazaar and returned to Golibar Maidan, Swargate and Sarasbaug. He was finally intercepted at Dandekar bridge.

Limaye said, "I was on platform when Mane suddenly started bus. As he drove away, he dashed a bus. Driver of the stolen as well as dashed buses ran behind him. I also joined them. We tried entering the bus but he sped away. We chased him till the exit gate. Two policemen standing there too tried stopping him. However, he turned right and proceeded towards Golibar Maidan on wrong side. We tried chasing him on bike but we got stuck in the traffic jam."

People say Mane looked relaxed at night and had tea alone in the morning.

Vijay Divate, Senior Depot Manager told DNA, “I feel Mane just cracked up. His track record has been spotlessly clean. He has been working under me since 2009 and all the while his behavior has been good. He did not even remain absent.”
 
Vijay Gulve, bus conductor who accompanied Mane on the last Gangapur trip has been taken by police for questioning.

Swargate depot has 115 vehicles of its own and 1450 vehicles ferry there from elsewhere daily. However, there are only two security guards deployed by MSRTC and two policemen to guard the depot.

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