Three special teams formed to nab pickpocket in DRDO attack case

Hyderabad: Three special teams have been formed to nab the juvenile pickpocket who allegedly attacked and injured a senior DRDO official with a razor blade after he was caught for stealing a cell phone in the crowded Charminar area, police said today. "The 16-year-old offender is absconding. Investigations are on to locate him and three special police teams have been formed and we are trying to apprehend him," Hussaini Alam Police Inspector A Balaji stated. The teenager`s identification, who is a pickpocket and addicted to sniffing whitener, has been established. He was recently arrested in a chain-snatching case and for quarrelling with a local person, but being a juvenile he was given bail, police said. The condition of Regional Director of a Koraput-based DRDO unit R K Satpathy, who had suffered bleeding injuries below his chest after the teenager attacked him with a blade yesterday, was out of danger, the police officer said, adding they have also recorded his statement. The incident happened when Satpathy along with a group of 15 officials of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) went to the Charminar area for sight-seeing and shopping. The offender had snatched a cell phone from the pocket of Satpathy`s colleague, though he was immediately caught by locals and was handed over to Satpathy. Even as police was informed about the incident, the boy took out a shaving blade and attacked Satpathy and fled away, police had earlier said. Hussaini Alam Police booked a case on charge of attempt to murder and other charges under the relevant sections of the IPC in connection with the incident.