A motorist masking his face with a green cloth has been terrifying the prosperous West Godavari district, injecting what is rumoured to be his HIV-infected blood.
The motorist riding around half a dozen villages jabs the needle with yet to be discovered substance into women and speeds away. At least 12 women stuck with the needles have been admitted to hospitals in the district in the last four days.
The attacks began on 22 August in Yadagandla village of Undi Mandal where the motorist stuck needles into G Venkata Vara Lakshmi and Andukuri Mercy in two different streets and fled.
The attacker did not leave a trace beyond the disposable syringe. The family members of the women filed a complaint with the Undi police station after which the victims, complaining of dizziness and nausea, were admitted to the hospital.
Police launched a massive hunt for the attacker, who jabbed six more women with needles on August 25 at four different villages. His targets included a college student and a lady bus conductor.
Pala Venkata Lakshmi, Kanaka Mahalakshmi, Parvathi, Sindhu, Naga Kumari and M Sarojini claimed that they were attacked by the now infamous “injection psycho”.
“I was on my way to the bus stop, when I noticed someone with a cap went past me on the bike. I realised he stuck something on my back. When I noticed the syringe, I recognised the injection psycho,” Pala Venkata Lakshmi said.
All six women are recouping at the Bhimavaram Government Hospital. On Wednesday, the motorist continued his attacks on four more women, two women in Sidhantam and Chreukuwada villages, one each in Buradarayudu Chervu in Veeravasaram mandal and Kavitam in Poduru mandal.
One of the four victims is said to be in a critical condition, while others are out of danger. “They have been given intravenous fluids and their blood samples have been sent to forensic laboratory in Vijayawada,” Dr Venkateswarlu at the Bhimavaram hospital said. West Godavari police are on high alert since rumours began spreading that the attacker is an HIV/AIDS patient and is injecting his blood in women to avenge his infection.
“We have not found any syringe except the disposable needle. We have sent the needles for tests to the State Forensic laboratory for further tests,” West Godavari SP, Bhaskar Bhushan said.