Adding to the intrigue, officials suspect the mastermind behind the Bidar robbery is notorious criminal Amit Kumar. Known for his involvement in armed robberies and thefts, Kumar is believed to operate from Bihar

SRINIVAS REDDY | Hyderabad 

A dramatic game of cat and mouse is unfolding as police confirm that the suspects behind the audacious Bidar bank robbery are the same individuals involved in the Afzalgunj shootout in Hyderabad. Despite coming tantalizingly close to nabbing them on multiple occasions, the offenders have managed to stay one step ahead.

In a nail-biting twist at Afzalgunj, the criminals attempted to board a bus unknowingly carrying two undercover officers en route to Raipur on another case. Spotting the suspects, the officers sprang into action, but the culprits slipped through their grasp, sparking a city-wide chase.

After the shootout, the fugitives made a swift escape in an auto-rickshaw, heading towards Secunderabad Railway Station. However, noticing heightened police activity at the station, they abandoned their plans and diverted to Tirumulgherry.

CCTV footage provided crucial leads, tracking their movements to Tirumulgherry. But there, the trail went cold. “The offenders changed their clothes and bags, discarding their old ones by the roadside before vanishing,” a senior officer revealed. The abandoned items were recovered, but the suspects had already moved on.

“Criminals typically aim to reach their hideout as quickly as possible after a heist,” the officer explained. “We suspect they may have left the city by road.”

Police have issued alerts to law enforcement in Bihar and Chhattisgarh, while teams in coordination with Karnataka Police intensify the hunt.

Adding to the intrigue, officials suspect the mastermind behind the Bidar robbery is notorious criminal Amit Kumar. Known for his involvement in armed robberies and thefts, Kumar is believed to operate from Bihar. Investigators theorize he orchestrated the Bidar heist and planned an escape route through Raipur to return to his home turf.

As the chase intensifies, Hyderabad’s senior police officers urge citizens to remain vigilant and report any sightings by dialing 100. The stakes are high, and every tip could make the difference in bringing these dangerous criminals to justice.

In the meanwhile, Hyderabad city police have traced down the auto rickshaw driver who had dropped the two offenders that fired and injured a manager of a travel agency at Afzalgunj before escaping on Thursday. The auto rickshaw driver is being questioned by the police in an attempt to gather some descriptive details about the suspects and the conversation between those two persons he might have overheard.