According to Afzalgunj inspector Nunavath Ravi, special teams have been deployed to trace Kushwaha, with surveillance focused on technical clues to track his movements. "We have intensified the probe and are monitoring possible leads closely."
Hyderabad: Despite the incident occurring in broad daylight in the heart of Hyderabad, the investigation into the shooting at a travel agent in Afzalgunj remains stalled, with police yet to make a breakthrough nearly seven months later. Officials cite poor cooperation from police in neighbouring states and a lack of both technical and circumstantial evidence as key reasons for the delay.
The main suspect, Manish Kushwaha, is believed to have fled to Nepal to evade arrest. Kushwaha, along with an associate, had earlier looted Rs 78 lakh from ATM custodians in Bidar on January 15. The next day, he arrived in Hyderabad and allegedly opened fire on a travel agent at Afzalgunj who questioned the contents of two suspicious bags in his possession. He then fled the scene.
According to Afzalgunj inspector Nunavath Ravi, special teams have been deployed to trace Kushwaha, with surveillance focused on technical clues to track his movements. "We have intensified the probe and are monitoring possible leads closely," the inspector said.
Kushwaha is a known offender with over 30 cases of robbery and murder across Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Karnataka and other states. Telangana police, in coordination with police from three different states, have been trying to locate him. A team was sent to his native place in Bihar, but his family refused to speak to the police. They also denied that the man shown in CCTV footage was their son.
Sources said that soon after the Afzalgunj firing, Kushwaha used stolen cash to buy new clothes and travelled across Hyderabad in an auto-rickshaw before fleeing the state. He is suspected to have crossed into Nepal to escape arrest.
Meanwhile, Bidar police confirmed that four persons were arrested for aiding the ATM robbery and are currently in jail. DSP Sivanna Gowda Patil said that during interrogation, the accused admitted to their role in the Bidar robbery but could not provide details about the key shooter, whose identity remains unverified.
Those arrested include Aman Kumar and Rajkishore Singh from Fatehpur Fulwaria in Vaishali district, Alok Kumar alias Ashutosh, and Shatrughan Prasad Singh from Mahisasur, Bihar. Like their counterparts in Hyderabad, Bidar police have not been able to identify the shooter from CCTV footage conclusively. Hyderabad police even showed the footage to Kushwaha’s family, who denied any connection to the man in the video.
Timeline of events:
2025
Jan. 15: Armed robbery at Bidar; Rs 78 lakh looted from ATM custodians.
Jan. 16: Accused reached Hyderabad, purchased Raipur tickets and opened fire at a travel agent in Afzalgunj.
Jan. 17: Accused travelled across Hyderabad in an autorickshaw and fled the city.
