Nagpur: In a case of robbery targeting a woman bus conductor on duty, the Crime Branch Unit 2 has arrested a 20-year-old youth for allegedly snatching a ticket-issuing machine worth Rs 10,000 from her and fleeing. The accused was apprehended in the Kalmeshwar police station limits following a technical investigation and a tip-off, and the stolen machine has been recovered.
The accused has been identified as Prem alias Dadu Vijay Patil, a resident of Chintaman Nagar in the Bhivsan Khori area under Gittikhadan police station limits.
According to police, the incident occurred between 3 pm and 3.30 pm on October 21, 2026, when complainant Sneha Ganesh Khiradkar, 27, was performing her duty as a bus conductor on bus number MH-40-DC-0464, travelling from Brahmani Phata towards Sitabuldi.
When the bus reached the Adivasi Narmada Colony bus stop on Katol Road, within the jurisdiction of Gittikhadan police station, a young man aged around 21 to 25 boarded the bus, saying he wanted to travel to New Katol Naka.
The passenger handed Khiradkar a Rs 20 note for his ticket. She issued him a ticket worth Rs 16 and informed him that she would return the remaining Rs 4 shortly, as she did not have the exact change at that moment.
When the bus stopped at Narmada Colony bus stop and the conductor opened its door, the passenger allegedly snatched the ticket-issuing machine from her hand and escaped. The machine, black and saffron in colour, was valued at approximately Rs 10,000.
Following Khiradkar’s complaint, Gittikhadan police registered a case against the unidentified accused under Section 304(1) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
Crime Branch tracks down accused
While Gittikhadan police investigated the case, Crime Branch Unit 2 launched a parallel probe. Officers and personnel conducted a technical investigation and developed leads based on credible information.
Acting on the intelligence inputs, the team laid a trap and detained Prem alias Dadu Vijay Patil within the limits of Kalmeshwar police station. During questioning, he allegedly confessed to committing the snatching offence, police said.
The police recovered the stolen ticket-issuing machine, valued at Rs 10,000, from his possession.
The arrested accused, along with the seized property, was handed over to Gittikhadan police for further legal action. Further investigation is underway to establish the complete sequence of events and gather additional evidence.
The incident highlights the vulnerability of public transport staff to theft and snatching while performing their duties, even during routine bus journeys.
