Raptadu School Attacker Arrested After Violent Gunfight; Police Inspector Injured
Police arrest Hemanth, the accused in the brutal Raptadu school attack, after an exchange of fire in Anantapur. An inspector was injured in the clash.
The manhunt for the perpetrator of the brutal Raptadu school attack has come to a violent end. Anantapur Superintendent of Police (SP) Jagadeesh confirmed on Sunday that the accused was apprehended following a dramatic exchange of fire on the outskirts of the Atmakur forest area in Anantapur district.
Dramatic Arrest in Atmakur Forest
Following the shocking attack on a schoolgirl, the police had mobilized approximately 15 specialized teams, working tirelessly around the clock to track down the suspect. The breakthrough came on Sunday evening when authorities received a tip-off regarding the suspect's location near the Atmakur forest.
Two police teams were immediately deployed to the site. According to SP Jagadeesh, the suspect, identified as Hemanth (also known as Dummu), was under the influence of alcohol at the time of the encounter. As officers approached, Hemanth reportedly became aggressive and attempted to attack them with a knife.
The situation escalated rapidly:
- Police first fired a warning shot into the air to deter the attacker.
- The accused ignored the warning and launched another attack, resulting in an injury to a police inspector.
- Officers then opened fire, discharging about six rounds aimed below the knee and the lower portion of the body.
Hemanth was critically injured during the shootout and was rushed to GJ Chananthapuram for emergency medical treatment. The police stated that interrogation will begin as soon as his health stabilizes.
The Horror at Raptadu School
The arrest follows a gruesome incident that occurred on Saturday morning. Hemanth, a distant maternal relative of the victim, breached the security of a school and entered a Class 10 classroom during instructional hours. In a shocking act of violence, he attacked a female student using a wood-cutting saw/blade.
A second student, who attempted to intervene and save her classmate, was also injured in the fray. The primary victim was initially rushed to the Anantapur Government General Hospital before being transferred to Manipal Hospital in Bangalore for specialized care.
Motive: Rejection and Obsession
Preliminary police investigations suggest the attack was fueled by obsession and revenge. Hemanth had allegedly been harassing the girl in the name of love for several months. After he proposed to her, the student rejected his advances and warned him to stay away, threatening to notify her parents of his behavior. Police believe this rejection led Hemanth to develop a grudge, culminating in the classroom attack.
Update on the Victim's Health
Andhra Pradesh Minister Nara Lokesh provided a hopeful update regarding the injured student's condition. In a post on X, the Minister revealed that both plastic and orthopaedic surgeries performed on the girl at Manipal Hospital in Bengaluru were successful.
The child has since been moved to the Paediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) for continuous monitoring. Minister Lokesh expressed his gratitude to the medical staff and assured the family that the state government would provide all necessary support and the best possible medical care throughout her recovery process.