Chainsaw Horror in India's Andhra School: Two Girls Attacked

ANANTAPUR, Oct 31: A 21-year-old man armed with a chainsaw allegedly entered a Class 10 classroom at a government school in India's Andhra Pradesh on Saturday and attacked two schoolgirls, leaving one of them critically injured, police said.

The attack took place at around 10:30 a.m. at the Zilla Parishad High School in Raptadu village in Anantapur district while a lesson was underway and a teacher was present in the classroom.

Both injured girls were rushed to the Government General Hospital in Anantapur for emergency treatment. One of the victims was reported to be in critical condition and undergoing surgery. She is expected to be shifted to a hospital in Bengaluru by air ambulance for further treatment.

Preliminary police information identified the accused as Hemanth, also known as Dummu. He allegedly fled the school following the attack but was later arrested at Dharmavaram railway station.

Police said the suspect is from Nagalur in Dharmavaram mandal of Sri Sathya Sai district and is reportedly a distant relative of one of the victims.

The shocking attack caused panic among students and staff at the school. Police have launched an investigation to establish the sequence of events and determine the motive behind the attack.

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu said he was deeply shocked and angered by the attack on a student inside her classroom.

“I am deeply shaken and enraged by the barbaric attack on a Class 10 student inside her classroom at Raptadu ZP High School,” Naidu said in a post on X.

He said he was personally monitoring the student's recovery and had directed medical teams to provide priority treatment. He also ordered police to take swift action against the attacker.

Education Minister Nara Lokesh also condemned the incident, describing the attack on a young girl inside a place meant for learning and safety as an inhuman act.

He said the government would take stringent action against the perpetrator and stressed that the safety and dignity of girls and women must be protected.

The investigation remains ongoing, with police examining the circumstances surrounding the attack and the suspect's possible motive.