TIRUPATI: Entire members of a wedding party alighted a Tamil Nadu State Road Transport Corporation (TSRTC) bus in a hurry and fled on seeing a police checkpoint near Pakalavaripalli on Thursday.Personnel manning the checkpoint, set up to prevent students’ union leaders, were not prepared for the bizarre development, reminiscent of the latest Telugu flick, Pushpa - The Rise. They picked up the equally bewildered driver and conductor of the bus, who said the ‘passengers’ had boarded the bus saying they were heading to attend a wedding at Tirupattur in Tamil Nadu.
Police expressed suspicion that the wedding party could be a group of woodcutters employed by red sander smugglers, returning home after their assignment in Seshachalam forests. Incidentally, Pushpa - The Rise also dealt with a red sander smuggler who operated in Seshachalam.
“Usually, these woodcutters’ mostly from Tamil Nadu, take shelter in forest areas and the team which escaped today might have stayed in Bhakarapet and surrounding forest areas,” Inspector of Chandragiri police circle Srinivasulu said.
Preliminary investigation revealed that a group of 20 people, claiming to be part of a wedding party, approached the bus crew, asking them to start early since the vehicles had enough passengers. Heeding to their demand, the bus left the Tirupati bus station at 1.30 pm, two hours earlier than its scheduled departure. The bus crew reportedly left Tirupati without informing the TNSRTC controller stationed at the bus stand. As the bus left the stand, another 20 people boarded it.
After questioning the bus crew, police said they had no links with the passengers who had fled. “We have found nearly 27 bags and some sticks and axes, which made us suspect that they are smugglers,” the inspector said, adding that a case has been registered.
The checkpoint was set up on Chandragiri bypass to prevent students’ union leaders, who have called for a protest outside the Collectorate, demanding the government to release the job calendar. Police, meanwhile, said smugglers have been employing innovative methods to hoodwink law enforcers.