Week after robbery outside SBI in Koti, Task Force teams fan out to northern States for clues

About a week after the armed robbery at an ATM in Koti that left a cloth merchant injured and robbed of ₹6 lakh, Hyderabad Police have stepped up efforts to trace the absconding accused. Special teams were deployed in the northern States, specifically areas along the Uttar Pradesh-Delhi border.

Two teams from the Hyderabad Task Force are currently operating outside the state, while multiple teams continue to work the clues in the city. An officer close to the investigation said the men involved in the crime appeared to be professionals with an understanding of police procedures and investigation methods. Despite sustained efforts, their last confirmed movement remains within Hyderabad city limits. “As of now, there is no concrete information to update,” the officer said.

Police said the two assailants used a country-made firearm. In all, six special teams, including personnel from the Task Force, have been formed to trace and apprehend the accused.

CCTV footage from several locations is being analysed and technical evidence is being examined to establish the suspects’ identities and movement trail. Coordination with neighbouring States has also been initiated as part of the inter-State investigation, police said.

The incident triggered panic in Koti on the morning of January 31 when the assailants opened fire on Rinshad P. V., a 26-year-old cloth merchant near the State Bank of India (SBI) main branch and fled with cash. The victim is still under observation after his surgery.

Rinshad, a businessman from Kozhikode, now living in Nampally, had come to Hyderabad on January 7 with ₹6 lakh in cash to buy wholesale garments at Diwan Devdi. As the deal did not go through, he went to deposit the money at the SBI main branch ATM in Koti on the morning of January 31.

He was threatened with a fire-arm while depositing the cash at around 7 a.m., They fired two rounds, injuring him in the right leg, and fled with the cash and his two wheeler. The vehicle was later abandoned in Kacheguda, after which the assailants changed clothes, escaped on foot and used autorickshaws to move towards the old city, with their last known location traced to Chandrayangutta by night.

Preliminary investigation suggests the assailants may be known to the victim, and further investigation is underway. “However, Rinshad claims that he does not suspect anyone behind the attack,” added the officer.