State, AP police set up info network to nab ATM attacker

Biggest challenge for police is the total absence of the attacker's activities

The Karnataka police and their Andhra Pradesh counterparts have formed a strong information network to trace the man who assaulted a woman banker of the Corporation Bank inside an ATM kiosk near the Town Hall in the City on November 19 last year.

Though it has been more than six months since Jyothi Uday was brutally attacked with a chopper at the kiosk, the police have not been able to establish the identity of the attacker, let alone apprehend him. A massive combing operation by both the police forces, in which close to 700 policemen participated, did not yield any result, forcing them to change their strategy.

“We keep changing our ways of search operation depending upon the situation,” Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime) Hemanth Nimbalkar told Deccan Herald. “Initially, the police launched a massive combing operation with little success. Now, we have set up a strong information network to apprehend him. There are some leads and positive feedbacks,” Nimbalkar said.

The biggest challenge for the officers involved in network is the total absence of the activities of the attacker. “There are theories that he has gone underground and is changing his hideouts. Currently, we are looking at that possibility,” he said.

A few senior investigating officers did not want to comment on the claim that he could be either dead or moving with the Naxalites in the deep dense forests sharing borders with Andhra Pradesh and Odisha.

Both states had set up an anti-Naxal network about two months ago to trace his movement as they believed he could be in the company of the Naxals. The Andhra Pradesh police had achieved success by setting up an anti-Naxal network in solving many sensational cases. However, their efforts have proved futile in the ATM attacker’s case, as there have been no credible leads about his whereabouts, added the officers.

“He would be caught any day if he was moving with the Naxals or changing his hideouts. The joint operation would fail if he was dead, as had been claimed by a few,” the officers said and added that the police had not given up hopes. “We are sharing information with each other. Senior officers of both the forces are in regular touch. We can’t set any time limit to solve such cases, but we are confident of tracing him at the earliest,” Nimbalkar said. 

The police said they had searched the database of all criminals and those with criminal background in all southern Indian states, but the data did not have any leads about the assailant. Things became tougher for the police as none in both the states knew about his family, his background and native place.

Victim’s husband upset

Jyothi Udaya’s husband expressed displeasure over the failure of the police to trace the attacker. 

“Of late, there is no contact with the police. It is disheartening that nothing has happened so far, but I still have hopes that he would be caught before he indulges in such acts again,” he said. 

“Jyothi is presently in Mysore spending her summer vacation.” 

“She has recuperated well and resumed work some time ago, but she keeps visiting the doctor for physiotherapy,” he said.