The City police investigating the brutal assault on a woman at an ATM kiosk, achieved a breakthrough after they tracked down the cellphone of the victim in Hindupur of Anantapur district in Andhra Pradesh, late on Wednesday night.
A special team brought Mazdoor, identified as the man to be in possession of the cellphone, to the City for questioning. Mazdoor is said to be a dealer in used cellphones.
A senior official involved in the probe said the technical cell of the Central Crime Branch traced the mobile phone on the basis of the International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) of the handset provided by the victim’s family.
He said Mazdoor seems to have no role in the crime and he is only a dealer in used cellphones to whom the attacker sold the victim Jyothi Uday’s handset on Wednesday morning.
According to sources, Mazdoor has stated that it was the first time he had seen the man and that he had no acquaintance with him.
With this development, it has become clear that the suspect is in Andhra Pradesh.
The City police have sought the help of their Andhra Pradesh counterparts to track the movement of people from Karnataka.
Special team
Another special team has been rushed to the neighbouring state to launch a massive manhunt, sources said.
Meanwhile, City Police Commissioner Raghavendra Auradkar denied reports in a section of the media that the suspect had been arrested.
Reward for informant
Auradkar has announced a reward of Rs one lakh to anyone providing actionable clues on the attacker. The City police have urged people to furnish any information on him on the following phone numbers: 080-22942583, 080-22942222, 9480801101 or 9480801106.
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