K'taka, AP police bicker as hunt for ATM attacker loses steam

It appears as though the police have given up their search for the assailant who brutally attacked a woman bank official with a lethal weapon in a Bengaluru ATM kiosk in November.   

About 200 policemen sent to Andhra Pradesh to nab the assailant have returned without success.  

With hope of arresting the attacker fading, questions are being raised at the manner in which the case has been handled.  

Going by the accounts of several police personnel, it is clear that the Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka police seemed to be competing with each other.

The Karnataka police accuse the Andhra Pradesh police of not sharing information while the AP police blame the Karnataka police of entering their jurisdiction and hijacking the case.

The Karnataka police have been slow to react from day one. They also failed to coordinate with the police of Andhra Pradesh despite information that the attacker hailed from AP.

The Andhra Pradesh police on the other hand had a crime sheet against the assailant. He had murdered his wife, jumped bail and also attacked and killed another woman at an ATM a month back. The lacklustre approach gave the attacker time to escape.

The Karnataka police say the biggest problem was when the AP police leaked false information to the media that the man had been caught. In reality they had identified him but did not nab him. This led the public to think that the man had been arrested and they stopped giving information to the police.

The AP police deny accusation of not giving the Karnataka police information. They say they were working on leads and should have been allowed their time.

Under pressure, the Karnataka police have tried to hurry us and hijack the case, says a AP police officer.

Information on the assailant now carries a reward of Rs 5 lakh but the mood among the policemen is not upbeat. They seem to have given up their chase for the man in what was the biggest manhunt after forest brigand the Veerappan.