A 21-year-old man was arrested in Andhra Pradesh on Saturday for allegedly entering a classroom and attacking two grade 10 students with a tree-cutting chainsaw. The victims were identified as 14-year-old Gopika and her friend Lakshmi.
The incident occurred around 10:30 am at a Zilla Parishad High School in Raptadu mandal. The accused allegedly entered the school while the girl was attending a mathematics lecture. He entered the classroom with a mechanical chainsaw and attacked the student.
The attack triggered panic in the school, with videos of students screaming going viral on social media. The teachers called the police and an ambulance after the accused fled.
Gopika suffered deep cuts to her neck and abdomen, and her right arm was nearly severed. Lakshmi, who tried to intervene, was also seriously injured. Both victims were rushed to the Government General Hospital. One of them is in critical condition and is to be airlifted to a hospital in Bengaluru.
The professor who was teaching the class said she went into shock when the accused entered. “While the children were attending maths class, a thug came in. He entered the classroom and attacked the girl. I went into shock. I didn’t understand what was happening. I couldn’t recognise the face of the accused.”
According to media reports, the accused is 21-year-old Hemanth, a Dharmavaram resident. Preliminary inquiries suggest that the he is Gopika’s relative and had proposed to her earlier. He developed a grudge towards her after she rejected his proposal and threatened to inform her parents.
Police told the media that the security guard at the school assumed him to be a worker as repairs were going on in the school. The police caught hold of Hemanth as he was heading towards Dharmavaram.
Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu visited the child at the hospital and shared a post on X, condemning the incident.
“I am personally tracking her recovery and have directed the medical team to give her the highest priority care. I have ordered the police to hunt down the monster responsible and deliver the harshest legal punishment swiftly,” he wrote.
