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Man attacks Class 10 girl with chainsaw in Anantapur classroom; she is critical in Bengaluru, accused held
A 21-year-old man, Hemanth, attacked a 15-year-old Class 10 girl with a chainsaw in a Zilla Parishad High School classroom in Raptadu, Anantapur, on 31 October, in front of a teacher. She was moved to Bengaluru in critical condition. A second girl was hurt trying to stop him; he has been arrested.
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A 21-year-old man attacked a Class 10 girl with a power chainsaw inside her classroom at a government school in Anantapur district, Andhra Pradesh, on Saturday, 31 October. The girl, who is 15, was critically injured and has been shifted to Bengaluru for treatment. The accused has been arrested.
What happened
The attack took place at around 10:30 am at the Zilla Parishad High School in Raptadu mandal. The man, identified as Hemanth, also known as Dummu, a resident of Dharmavaram, walked into the classroom while a teacher was conducting a lesson and attacked the girl in front of her classmates. A second girl who tried to stop him was also injured. Students and teachers alerted the police.
The girl suffered serious injuries to her face, head and back, and one report says her right hand was nearly severed. She was taken first to the Government General Hospital in Anantapur, where doctors operated in the emergency ward, and was then moved to Bengaluru by ambulance under a green channel that evening. A social media post claimed she had died; reports from the scene say she is critical but alive.
Police described Hemanth as a relative of the girl. One report calls him her uncle, another a distant relative. He fled after the attack and was arrested by evening, with one report saying he was held at Dharmavaram railway station. A report says he told police that he attacked her after she refused his advances, but police have not officially established a motive and the investigation continues.
Police are also looking at how an armed outsider reached a classroom during lessons. One report says repair work was under way at the school and that he may have been mistaken for a worker, which has not been confirmed.
Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu said he was shocked and angry, called the attack barbaric, asked for top-priority medical care and told the police to seek the harshest legal punishment. He spoke to the girl's relatives by phone and assured them of support. Education Minister Nara Lokesh condemned the attack and said the government would act firmly, and Home Minister Vangalapudi Anitha directed the police to deal with the accused strictly under the law. The local MLA, Paritala Sunitha, visited the hospital and spoke to the doctors.
The attack has raised questions about security at government schools and the protection of children on campus.
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