Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): The serial attacker targeting women and creating terror in the city was arrested by joint teams of police and crime branch on Thursday.
The accused had assaulted four women walking alone in the night on January 29 in Piplani and Ayodhya Nagar areas in a series of attack and fled. He used a sharp cutter to slash the women in their hips, face and waist causing serious injuries.
Separate cases were registered in connection with the attacks and 40 police teams under Piplani police station in-charge Chandrika Yadav and sub inspector Santosh Raghuvanshi launched a massive manhunt for the serial attacker. A reward of Rs 25,000 was also declared on his arrest.
Police sources said that scanning of the accused’s mobile revealed that he was searching for mobile numbers of ‘call girls’ in Bhopal on the Internet.
Additional police commissioner Awadhesh Goswami said police scanned 900 CCTV cameras, used electronic surveillance, social media and manual inputs to trace the culprit. Police teams finally got inputs about the presence of the accused near the Coach Factory in Chhola Mandir area and nabbed him.
The accused was identified as Devendra Ahirwar (37) of Sagar district. He lived with his wife and two children in Karond area on rent and worked as a mason.
A cutter and a bike which he had stolen four months back for carrying out serial attacks was recovered from him.
Motive for attacks
Police investigations revealed that the accused was mentally disturbed. His wife had left him earlier but he had brought her back after reconciliation. He allegedly attacked women after a tiff with his wife at home, watching porn in his mobile phone and consuming liquor and smoking marijuana. Police officials said that objectionable content was found in his mobile.
Attacked over 12 women in different cities
Police officials said the accused attacked four women in Sagar in a similar manner in 2014 but could not be traced. He confessed attacking around five women in other cities whose details were still to be confirmed.
He has five cases of theft, loot and assault registered against him in Sagar and was released on bail a few months back.
