- Family unaware of accused's intentions, no prior threats.
- Victim's family demands strict action against the attacker.
- Girl out of danger; accused attacked after rejected proposal.
Andhra Pradesh: The family of a Class 10 girl targeted in a horrific chainsaw attack at a government school in Andhra Pradesh's Anantapur district has expressed shock over the incident, stating they had no prior knowledge of the suspect's intentions.
'We Never Saw It Coming': Victim's Family
Speaking to NDTV, the victim's grandfather, Mudaga Katamaiya, said that the family was completely unaware of the accused's obsession. He said that they had never suspected any danger.
"We as a family never knew that this psycho person had a one-sided love for our daughter. If at all we knew about it, we would have been very careful," Katamaiya said.
He emphasised that the attacker had issued no prior threats or warnings before the incident.
"He never threatened us in the past. Never ever, he gave a hint. He all suddenly went inside the school premises and attacked our daughter," Katamaiya added.
Demanding strict action from law enforcement, Katamaiya said, "We want the police to encounter this psycho person who attacked our daughter."
Providing an update on his granddaughter's health, Katamaiya said, "She is now out of danger, but some surgeries will continue still," adding that "the government is supporting us financially."
The incident at the Zilla Parishad High School in Raptadu village left two Class 10 schoolgirls injured. Both girls were rushed to the Government General Hospital in Anantapur following the attack. Due to the severity of the primary target's injuries, arrangements were made to transport her to a specialised hospital in Bengaluru via air ambulance.
What Happened At Andhra School?
The incident occurred while lessons were underway and a teacher was in the room. The class teacher present at the scene, Rajeshwari, recalled that school staff initially mistook the accused for a maintenance worker because construction work was underway on campus.
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"Classes were ongoing. The first period was completed, and the classes were continuing. All the children were studying," Rajeshwari said.
"The classroom doors are generally kept open. Someone came through that door. Before we could realise what was happening, the incident with the boy took place."
"Only one boy came. He turned on the motor from outside and then came inside. The motor... we didn't even understand what instrument it was," the teacher added.
Accused Identified
Police have identified the accused as 21-year-old Hemanth, also known as Dummu, a resident of Nagalur in the Dharmavaram mandal of Sri Sathya Sai district. Investigators stated that the suspect is the victim's uncle and carried out the attack after she rejected his romantic advances. According to the reports, he had previously stalked the girl and proposed to her.
Following the classroom incident, the suspect fled the scene. Police have deployed 12 to 15 teams to locate and arrest him.
(With Inputs From Jagran.com)