Andhra man unleashes savage chainsaw attack on teen girl and friend inside classroom, arrested

A 21-year-old man has been arrested for the horrific power chainsaw attack on a 14-year-old student in Andhra Pradesh’s Anantapur district. The accused, identified as Hemanth, was arrested near Dharmavaram Railway station on Saturday, October 31, in the afternoon, a few hours after he attacked a girl’s face, neck and torso with a power chainsaw in Raptadu mandal.

The tenth-grade student, identified as Gopika, was attacked by Hemanth inside a Zilla Parishad High School classroom in Raptadu as class was in session. The victim suffered critical injuries to her head, neck and back, while her classmate, Lakshmi, who tried to intervene, was also injured in the process.

A horrified Lakshmi told the media, "It happened around 10.30 am. He turned on the chainsaw and entered the classroom. He attacked [Gopika] in front of the teacher. Then he attacked me in the leg. She collapsed right there. All the students went out of the classroom. He took the chainsaw and escaped on his bike. The teacher also saw the chainsaw and got scared. He came alone. It was the first time I saw him. It all happened in around 5 minutes.”

According to reports, Hemanth had proposed to her, but she had rejected his proposal. The rejection is suspected to be the motive for Hemanth’s attack. 

Speaking to local media, a teacher who was in the class at the time of the attack said that she was horrified. "I was teaching maths, and I heard the chainsaw. He walked into the class, and at that point I didn't know what to make of it. Then he went straight to the students and before we knew it, he attacked her. I just froze and stood against the wall. Children started running about," she said amid tears adding that he was the sole attacker.

The school management reportedly noticed Hemanth on the school premises with the chainsaw, but mistook him for a construction worker. Following the attack, Hemanth fled the school. 

The victim and her classmate were shifted to the Anantapur government general hospital for emergency care. “She (Gopika) was brought here in an unconscious state. She has suffered severe injuries because of the nature of the weapon. A flap of one side of her face has completely come off. Muscles in her neck and back, paraspinal muscles, were cut. No major injuries to internal visceral organs. Was able to respond at first, but she isn't stable yet. She will require plastic surgery for her face; we will think about it after initial treatment. Can't say if she is out of danger yet since her head was also injured,” said the doctor.

Responding to the incident, Gopika’s relative said they were unaware of anyone harassing her. “She is a good girl; she never mentioned that anyone was troubling her. Was very soft-spoken. We don't know who the attacker is, but even if he is our relative, we want him to be hanged,” she said.

A case has been registered, and further investigation is underway. Hemanth is currently in police custody and is being questioned. 

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu expressed anguish over the attack and contacted district and medical officials to ensure emergency treatment. He directed the police to track down the perpetrator quickly and pursue stringent legal action for maximum punishment.