Police opened fire on a 21-year-old man accused of attacking two Class 10 students with a chainsaw at a government school in Andhra Pradesh’s Anantapur district after he allegedly tried to escape and attacked officers during an attempt to arrest him.
According to police sources, six rounds were fired at the accused, identified as Hemanth alias Dummu, after officers received information that he was hiding in a forest area. He was seriously injured in the firing.
Police approached him following a tip-off about his whereabouts. When officers attempted to take him into custody, he allegedly tried to flee while carrying a knife and attacked the personnel with stones. Several officers reportedly sustained injuries, following which the police opened fire.
The incident comes a day after Hemanth entered a classroom at Rapthadu Zilla Parishad High School in Raptadu village at around 10:30 am on October 31 and attacked two girls with a running chainsaw while classes were underway. The assault unfolded in front of classmates and teachers, causing panic among students.
One of the students, identified as Geethika, suffered multiple life-threatening injuries, including the complete severing of her right hand, injuries to her neck and face, fractures to her skull and ribs, and damage to blood vessels. She was initially treated at the Government General Hospital in Anantapur, where doctors administered 10 units of blood, before being shifted to a private hospital in Bengaluru for advanced treatment. The other injured student is Lakshmi.
A teacher present at the scene said staff initially did not recognise the instrument because construction work was ongoing at the school, and the sound was thought to be related to that activity. The attacker entered the classroom while students were still seated and moved towards them before anyone could fully react.