Attacks on women trigger panic

Nellore: A psycho has been giving sleepless nights to the residents of Kovur town near here by targeting lonely and elderly women, whom he was sexually assaulting and robbing valuables from them.

Fearing social stigma, many of the victims are said to be not coming forward to disclose the facts or report to the police. Sources said an old woman in the town was allegedly raped and has been admitted to a hospital for treatment because of over bleeding. Another woman was also said to have been undergoing treatment in a private hospital following an attack by the unidentified person.

Police officials who visited the scenes of crime have deployed CLUES teams and dog squads for traces of the psycho. District SP P H D Ramakrishna also visited the town on Friday and assured that they would nab the criminal shortly. He appealed to the local people to be cautious and inform the local police about movements of any suspicious persons.

In 1999-2000, there were people were terrorised by similar sociopathic acts in the district. Many women, mostly aged, were targeted by the criminal. When police and local people kept a vigil during night time he left to other district. Again, after 18 years, the district is facing such instances again.