About a week after the armed robbery at an ATM in Koti that left a cloth dealer injured and robbed of ₹6,000, the Hyderabad police have stepped up efforts to trace the absconding accused. Special teams have been deployed in northern states, specifically in areas along the Uttar Pradesh-Delhi border.
Two teams from the Hyderabad Task Force are currently operating outside the state, while several teams continue to work on 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 investigative methods. Despite sustained efforts, their last confirmed movement remains within Hyderabad city limits. “There is no specific information to update at this time,” the officer said.
Police said both attackers used a home-made firearm. A total of six special teams, including personnel from the Task Force, were formed to track down and nab the accused.
CCTV footage from several locations is being analyzed and technical evidence is being scrutinized to establish the identity of the suspects and trace their movements. Coordination with neighboring states has also begun as part of the interstate investigation, police said.
The incident triggered panic in Koti on the morning of January 31 when assailants opened fire on Rinshad PV, 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 surgery.
Rinshad, a businessman from Kozhikode, now living in Nampally, arrived in Hyderabad on January 7 with ₹6,000 in cash to buy wholesale garments from Diwan Devdi. As the deal did not go through, he went to deposit the money in the ATM of the SBI main branch in Koti on the morning of January 31.
He was threatened with a firearm while depositing cash at around 7am. They fired two rounds and injured him on the right leg and fled with the cash and the two-wheeler. The vehicle was later abandoned in Kacheguda, after which the assailants changed clothes, fled on foot and moved towards the old city using an autorickshaw, with their last known location traced to Chandrayangutta at night.
Preliminary investigations suggest that the assailants may be known to the victim and further investigations are underway. “However, Rinshad says he does not suspect anyone behind the attack,” the officer added.
Published – 06 Feb 2026 20:03 IST
