Andhra chainsaw attack: Accused shot by police, who say he attacked officers

The 21-year-old man accused of attacking a Class 10 girl with a chainsaw inside her classroom in Andhra Pradesh’s Anantapur district was shot and seriously injured by police on Sunday (1 November), police said. Officers say he attacked them as they tried to arrest him in the Atmakur forest area.

The attack took place on Saturday at a government school in Anantapur district. The girl suffered serious injuries, and a classmate was hurt while trying to protect her. The man is reportedly related to the girl and allegedly attacked her after she rejected his proposal, according to reports.

Anantapur Superintendent of Police P Jagadeesh said special teams formed to trace the accused got information that he was hiding in the Atmakur forest area. Fifteen police teams were sent to comb the forest.

According to the SP, the accused was allegedly intoxicated and carrying a knife when officers approached, PTI reported. Police say he threw stones at them and, despite warning shots fired into the air, attacked a police inspector with the knife, injuring him. “Police opened fire after he assaulted police personnel who went to apprehend him,” the SP said, adding that about six rounds were fired, including the warning shots.

The accused was hit in the lower body and taken to the Government General Hospital in Anantapur. The Hindu reported that his condition was critical. He underwent surgery on Monday to remove a bullet, Siasat reported.

Accounts of what happened after the attack have changed. On Saturday, several outlets, including The Indian Idiot, reported that the man had been caught at Dharmavaram railway station hours after the attack. On Sunday, a police source told The Indian Express: “The accused was not in custody. He had turned off his phone and had gone into hiding.” Police have not explained the earlier account.

The girl is being treated at Manipal Hospital in Bengaluru. In a statement quoted by The Indian Express, the hospital said she underwent surgery for nearly 11 hours involving several specialities, after which her bleeding was controlled and her blood pressure stabilised. She is in the paediatric ICU on ventilator support.

Andhra Pradesh minister Nara Lokesh, who visited her family at the hospital, wrote on X: “I assured her parents that our government and I will support them in every possible way. The culprit behind this heinous attack will face strictest punishment.” He said the next 48 hours would be critical. A team of 20 mental health counsellors is visiting students affected by the incident.

The allegations against the accused have not been tested in court. The Indian Idiot is not naming the students, who are minors, or the accused, or giving other details that could identify them.