A vehicle rented by the duo followed by cops

Hyderabad:The Afzalgunj police said they traced an auto-rickshaw hired by two assailants who opened fire on a travel agency manager, injuring him. The same duo is believed to have shot dead two people in a robbery in Bidar during which they escaped with a sum of Rs 93 lakh.

Police also recovered two wheelie bags in Trimulgherry, where the duo is believed to have stayed. The police check fingerprints on the bags.

Sources said police questioned the auto-rickshaw driver about the duo, their identifying features, clothing and luggage, and whether he overheard their conversation.

According to investigating officer Ravi Nunavath, after pumping two bullets into Mohammed Jahangir around 6.40 pm on Thursday, the two boarded an auto-rickshaw and told the driver to throw them away near a hotel in front of Secunderabad railway station.

Seeing increased security at the station, they went to Trimulgherry, where they left their bags, police said.

The police recovered the auto-rickshaw based on CCTV footage from a hotel located opposite the travel agency where the shooting took place.

It may be recalled that the two were suspected to have shot dead two ATM security guards in Bidar, escaped from the camp with cash worth Rs 93 lakh and came to Hyderabad on a bike.

They were suspected by the alert Jahangir, nephew of the owner of Roshan Travels, whom they approached to book tickets to Raipur in Chhattisgarh. He became suspicious and asked to check his identity documents and luggage.

At the same time, two Karnataka police officers on their way to Raipur were investigating a separate case. Panicking, the duo shot at Jahangir, who suffered injuries to his leg and stomach, and fled.

The police registered a case under Art. 109 BNS.