Man Who Attacked Schoolgirl Shot in Police Firing
The accused, identified as Hemanth, was tracked down to the Atmakur forest area following a manhunt: Reports
RAPTADU: In a dramatic sequence of events, police on Sunday opened fire and apprehended a man who had barged into a high school classroom and critically injured a 15-year-old girl with an electric saw in Raptadu, Anantapur district.
The accused, identified as Hemanth, was tracked down to the Atmakur forest area following a manhunt. According to police officials, the team fired six rounds when the suspect attempted to evade arrest and flee deeper into the woods. Hemanth sustained severe bullet wounds in the police firing and was transported under custody to the Anantapur Government General Hospital for treatment.
Earlier in the day, panic gripped the Raptadu Zilla Parishad High School when Hemanth entered a Class 10 classroom armed with a motorized saw. He singled out a student, Gopika (15), hailing from nearby Ayyavaripalli village, and launched a brutal, targeted assault. The teenager suffered extensive cuts to her head, face, and back, collapsing in a pool of blood.
Another female classmate, Lakshmi, displayed exceptional courage by confronting the attacker to shield her friend. She suffered deep lacerations to both of her legs before teachers and other students raised alarms, forcing Hemanth to drop the weapon and flee the premises.
Both girls were quickly evacuated to the Anantapur district hospital. Given Gopika's critical state, doctors recommended an immediate transfer, after which she was shifted to a private hospital in Bengaluru for specialized trauma care and emergency surgery.
Police have registered cases against the accused under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and are investigating the motive behind the gruesome assault.
