Raptadu attack accused shot in police encounter

ANANTAPUR

In a dramatic turn in the Raptadu school attack case, the accused, Hemanth, was shot by police during an encounter in the district on Sunday while allegedly attempting to escape, raising questions over the circumstances leading to the firing.

Hemanth, accused of attacking Class 10 student Gopika with a chainsaw inside her classroom at the Zilla Parishad High School on Saturday, was injured in the exchange of fire and shifted to hospital. Initial reports said police opened fire after he allegedly attacked officers and tried to flee. Raptadu circle inspector Venkateswarlu was reportedly attacked with a knife.

According to local media reports, Hemanth pelted stones at police before attempting to escape. Police are said to have fired six rounds in self-defence. The precise sequence of events, the encounter location and the accused’s condition were not immediately clear.

The encounter comes a day after the brutal attack inside the school sent shock waves across the region. Hemanth allegedly entered the classroom with a chainsaw and attacked Gopika while lessons were in progress. Her classmate Lakshmi was injured when she tried to intervene.

The attack sparked widespread outrage, with the victim’s family and villagers demanding stringent punishment. Preliminary investigation suggested that the accused had allegedly harassed the girl and held a grudge after she rejected his advances.

With Hemanth injured in police firing, attention is now likely to turn to the circumstances of the encounter and the safeguards followed during the operation.