KANYAKUMARI: When Jayakumar, a driver with Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC), came out of a restaurant near Nagercoil bus stand after having supper on Friday night, he had the shock of his life. The KSRTC bus from Thiruvanathapuram that he had parked nearby was missing.

After jittery moments for the driver, tension for police and a district-wide search, the bus was found parked in front of the house of a 28-year-old man, who was asleep, who had been fast asleep.

The man had apparently driven off the bus as he did not find any other transport to return home. He was identified as T Dharmaraj. Inquiries revealed that Dharmaraj, an engineering gra8duate, was trained in driving heavy vehicles, but was now unemployed.

"We have booked a case against him. During inquiry his replies were incoherent. He readily admitted to have driven off the bus. We suspect he is mentally unstable," a police officer said.

Police said Jayakumar had parked the vehicle at Nagercoil bus stand around 9.40pm and left the key in the ignition. He came back to find the bus missing. He rushed to the police outpost and complained. Several police teams were diverted to search in and around that region. Around 11 pm, police got information that a KSRTC bus was parked in front of a house in Vijayanagari. They heaved a sigh of relief when they found that it was the missing bus. Residents of the locality told the police that it was Dharmaraj who drove the bus there. He was sound asleep when police knocked on the doors of his house. Based on a complaint from the driver, Dharmaraj was arrested.