"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 told PTI.
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 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.