A motorcycle rider has been creating panic in West Godavari district by jabbing young women with a hypodermic needle in the last three days. About 11 women including six school and college girls have been among his victims.
Some of them fell unconscious -- police say more out of shock – and recovered later. Police have been unable to ascertain whether the needles were infected or laced with any substance.
West Godavari superintendent of police Bhaskar Bhushan said eight police teams to nab the man. Bheemavaram DSP Soumyalatha said she received six complaints from women including Wednesday from Kavitam village in Poduru mandal, Sidhantham and Cherukumudi in Penugonda mandal, Budarayudu Cheruvu in Veeravasaram mandal and Burusugudem in Yeruvaka mandal.
She explained the modus operandi in each case was the same and so they think all the cases were the handiwork of one man.
“We don’t know the motive behind the attacks. The panic-stricken women are falling unconscious and recovering after a while. We asked doctors of the Area Hospital to send the blood samples of all the women to Hyderabad for test,” she said.
The first case was reported from Yandagandi village in Undi mandal on the evening of August 22 when a schoolgirl returning home was pricked in the shoulder by a man on a speeding bike. Three more incidents were reported from Palakoderu mandal and then another in Ganapavaram on Tuesday evening.
A doctor at the Penugonda Area Hospital said the needles were not laced with any substance. All the same, they were referred to lab tests.
SP Bhaskar Bhushan said vehicle checking and frisking has been intensified.
