Andhra chainsaw attacker shot at after assaulting cop with knife during arrest

A day after attacking a Class 10 student with a chainsaw at her school in Andhra Pradesh's Anantapur district, accused Hemanth was injured in police firing while resisting arrest.

In Short

• Andhra Class 10 student remains critical after man attacked her with chainsaw
• Police fired 6 rounds after accused resisted arrest, cop injured during scuffle
• Andhra Minister Nara Lokesh assured the victim's family of full govt support

An Andhra Pradesh man accused of attacking a schoolgirl in a chainsaw attack was shot by police after assaulting an officer with a knife. Hemanth was injured in the firing while resisting arrest near Atmakur on Sunday.

Hemanth is accused of entering a school in Anantapur district with a chainsaw around 10 am on Saturday and attacking a Class 10 student, leaving her critically injured. Another student was also injured while trying to protect her.

District Superintendent of Police Jagadish said 15 teams had been deployed to apprehend Hemanth. Two teams were sent to the area after receiving information about his presence near Atmakur on Sunday evening.

When the police attempted to arrest him, Hemanth allegedly attacked them. The police initially fired warning shots into the air, but he continued to resist arrest, prompting them to fire six rounds at his legs, the SP said.

A circle inspector (CI) was injured in the attack. SP Jagadish later visited the hospital and confirmed that the CI's condition was stable and that medical treatment was being provided to the injured accused.

The police operation came as the schoolgirl continued to battle for her life following the brutal attack. She was initially taken to Anantapur Government General Hospital, where doctors worked for nearly eight hours to stabilise her condition before she was shifted to Bengaluru's Manipal Hospital through a green corridor for advanced treatment.

Doctors at Manipal Hospital performed surgery lasting nearly 12 hours before moving her to the intensive care unit. She suffered severe injuries to her face, head and neck, including the severing of her right hand, multiple fractures and damage to blood vessels. She was brought to the hospital in critical condition and required 10 units of blood to control the bleeding.

Andhra Pradesh Minister Nara Lokesh visited the hospital on Sunday to review her treatment. Speaking to doctors, he said the next 48 hours would be crucial for her recovery and appealed to people to pray for the girl.

"She's our daughter," Lokesh said, assuring the family that the state government would provide full support for her treatment and rehabilitation.

The minister said the attack should not be politicised but acknowledged the need to strengthen safety systems and preventive measures in schools. He also warned that strict action would be taken against those who harass women or engage in indecent behaviour.

Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu and Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan have condemned the attack and assured the victim's family of government support.

Meanwhile, the opposition YSR Congress Party has demanded Lokesh's resignation as Education Minister, alleging that the incident exposed the government's failure to protect students in schools.

- Ends