Speculation broke out on Saturday that Andhra's infamous 'needle attacker,' who has attacked many women in various parts of West Godavari has shifted to Hyderabad.
The rumour was triggered after a fourth class student studying in a school in Malkajgiri, who went out of school to buy something, claimed to have been attacked by a masked man on a bike, who pricked her right upper arm with a needle.
Following a complaint to her school in-charge, Ramya was rushed and admitted to a nearby private hospital.
Around 17 women have been his victims of the accused so far and each incident involved one man on a bike, who pricked women with a needle before speeding away.
Conflicting views
While some reports claim that the doctors confirmed the needle injury on Ramya's shoulder, some claim otherwise.
"A man came wearing a mask on a motorcycle from behind and held my right arm tightly and pierced it. I felt drowsy and my hand was paining badly," Ramya told Deccan Chronicle.
Speaking to TNM, Inspector Shekar Goud of the Malkajgiri police station said that there was no CCTV footage that captured the incident.
"Though the school had CCTV cameras, the footage only showed the girl running into the campus and going towards the stairs. She complained to the school later. We are still trying to analyse footage from around the area, at the time of the incident, to spot anything," he added.
The police are also clueless as there were several people around the girl but she did not raise an alarm.
A Times of India report suggests that the needle attacker may turn out to be another 'Urban legend.'
"Such urban legends begin with a couple of true incidents. Later, people begin to go into hallucination," Dr Ch Praveen Kumar, medical director, Tranquil Minds told the newspaper.
The report also adds that 'urban legends' arise in Tier II towns as people's attention can be easily drawn and the news spreads fast, making a district like West Godavari ideal for the birth of the 'needle man.'
The first case In West Godavari occurred on the evening of August 22 and the police have since announced rewards, released multiple witness sketches and tightened security in the district to nab the offender.
A few needles were recovered at the scene in West Godavari, but repeated medical and forensic examination has failed to find any poison, drugs or bacteria virus.
"We believe that the man is in his thirties and he seems to be getting some perverted pleasure in pricking women with a needle," West Godavari district superintendent had earlier told TNM.
Even in West Godavari, in spite of various media reports, the police have denied that the attacker used any chemicals or even a syringe. Though he remains at large, the legend is surely fast spreading.