May 3: Eight college friends wanted to celebrate a birthday with a quick spin around town, but had no car.

What did they do?

They stole a government bus.

Their ride was cut short on Sunday night by a vigilant police squad that found something amiss when they saw a municipal bus speeding down a Pune street at 1am.

By the time the police caught up with them, the eight, aged between 18 and 23, had already enjoyed an hour’s joyride in the red bus.

Constable Pranav Sankpal, who lodged the complaint, saw the Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal bus driving down at a high speed around 1am. Surprised that a bus was running so late in the night and that, too, in such a rash manner, Sankpal and some other policemen chased the vehicle.

The police later found out that Pradeep Gade, 23, Pranit Chavan, 18, Omkar Kengle, 18, Hrushikesh Bodke, 23, and Sagar Baburao Jadhav, 21, were out to celebrate Pranit’s birthday. Three others who were with the boys escaped through the rear door when the police stopped the bus.

The friends wanted to go on a midnight ride but didn’t have a four-wheeler. “One of them said he could drive heavy vehicles. So they stole an unlocked bus parked outside a bus depot,” an officer said.

The five were booked under IPC Sections 379 and 34 (punishment for theft and common intention). They were freed on bail by a local court, the officer added.

Nobody was hurt in the incident, nor were the students drunk.

The police in its complaint stated that the students stole the bus intending “mischief”.