The city police today arrested a 21-year-old youth on the charge of robbing a woman employee of a software firm at gun-point inside an ATM centre here.
The incident had taken place yesterday morning. The accused P Shiv Kumar Reddy, a native of Kadapa district of Andhra Pradesh, was nabbed in Ameerpet area here today on the basis of CCTV footage inside the ATM centre, said the city police commissioner M Mahendar Reddy.
Shiv Kumar, who came to Hyderabad about three years ago, told the investigating officers that he was used to a lavish lifestyle, and decided to commit the robbery for easy money, the commissioner said.
Kumar procured the 9MM country-made pistol -- used during the offence -- from Maharashtra, he added.
"He made a recce near ATM centre in Yosufguda area yesterday morning. C Lalitha (24), who works with a software firm, went to the centre to withdraw money. While she was trying to withdraw money, the accused who had covered his face with a kerchief came in holding a pistol, and asked her to give him money by withdrawing it from the ATM," he said.
Kumar also fired a round into wall of the centre, and snatched the victim's gold chain, ear-tops, finger ring, cell phone and the ATM card. He also forced her to tell him the PIN number of card, and later withdrew Rs 2,500 from another ATM centre.
Police recovered the country-made pistol, six live rounds, 3 ATM cards, five cell phones, a button-knife, Rs 4,000 in cash, the victim's ornaments and her cell phone from Shiv Kumar.
"He obtained the pistol 15 days ago by paying Rs 25,000. Yesterday's robbery seems to be his first offence, but we will question him further to find out if he was involved in other crimes," said commissioner Reddy.
