2013 Bengaluru ATM attacker gets 10 years in jail

BENGALURU: The City Civil and Sessions Court on Tuesday sentenced Madhukar Reddy -- who had brutally assaulted bank employee Jyothi Uday inside an ATM kiosk at NR Junction in the city on November 19, 2013 -- to 10 years’ imprisonment. The incident had taken place in broad daylight, with a CCTV camera within the kiosk capturing the graphic scene. Reddy was convicted for robbery by brutal attack on the woman, and also for destruction of evidence.

Speaking to TNIE, public prosecutor MV Thyagaraj said that judge Rajeshwar read out the sentence, even as Reddy’s counsel pleaded for minimum punishment, claiming his mother is bedridden, and dependent on him for care. His father passed away a few years ago. The court, however, said that considering the brutality of the crime and the criminal background of the convict, it has awarded maximum punishment.

The court also slapped a fine of `10,000 on the convict and directed the district legal service authority to suitably compensate the victim. It may be recalled that the incident occurred when Jyothi entered the ATM to withdraw cash. Reddy barged in after her and closed the shutter. She pleaded with him to let her go, but he attacked her with a machete multiple times.

He then escaped leaving her profusely bleeding. The entire incident, whose CCTV footage went viral, had created fear among people visiting ATMs. Soon after it came to light, the city police formed as many as 15 teams to track down the assailant. The then police commissioner even cracked the whip on those ATMs with inadequate security, ordering jurisdictional police to shut them down until suitable security measures were put in place.

Reddy, who was on the run for several years, was finally arrested by Madanapalli police in 2017, after he was identified by a policeman on patrol. Meanwhile, Jyothi told TNIE: “He (Reddy) should learn a lesson and no one should be a victim like this. I expected a bigger punishment, but I respect the court order. I have never visited an ATM after the attack, which was a traumatic experience for me.”