Anantapur, November 1, 2026: Police on Sunday opened fire and critically injured Hemanth, the 21-year-old accused in the previous day’s horrific chainsaw attack on a Class 10 girl inside Raptadu Zilla Parishad High School in Anantapur district. The accused, tracked to the Atmakur forest area following a manhunt, sustained severe bullet wounds after police fired six rounds as he attempted to evade arrest and flee deeper into the woods. He was taken under custody to Anantapur Government General Hospital for treatment.
The attack occurred on Saturday morning (October 31) around 10.30 a.m. during a mathematics class. Hemanth, also known as Dummu, a daily-wage worker and close relative (reportedly the maternal uncle) of the victim, entered the classroom armed with a motorised/electric chainsaw. He singled out 15-year-old Mudaga Gopika (from Ayyavaripalli/Akkayavaripalem village), who was seated in the front row, and launched a brutal assault in front of the teacher and classmates.
Gopika suffered extensive injuries, including deep cuts to her face, head, neck, back and abdomen, fractures to the skull and ribs, vascular damage, and near-complete severing of her right hand. She collapsed in a pool of blood. Another Class 10 student, Lakshmi, displayed courage by intervening to protect her and sustained deep lacerations to her legs. The attacker then abandoned the chainsaw and fled. The teacher, Rajeshwari, later recounted freezing in shock as the sudden violence unfolded.
Gopika was initially treated at Anantapur Government General Hospital before being shifted via a green corridor to Manipal Hospital in Bengaluru for advanced care. Doctors there performed orthopaedic and plastic surgeries; her condition was later reported as stabilised and under observation in the paediatric intensive care unit. Lakshmi received treatment for her injuries at Anantapur.
Preliminary investigation indicated that Hemanth, an orphan from Naguluru village in Sri Sathya Sai district who had been living with relatives, had allegedly been harassing Gopika in the name of “love” and developed a grudge after she rejected his advances and threatened to inform her parents. He is said to have conducted a recce of the school and purchased the chainsaw recently. Cases were registered under attempt-to-murder provisions and the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu expressed deep shock and anger, describing the assault as barbaric. He stated he was personally monitoring the victim’s recovery, directed the highest priority medical care, and ordered police to ensure the harshest legal punishment. Health Minister Satya Kumar Yadav and other officials also tracked the treatment closely. The incident triggered widespread outrage, with the victim’s family demanding stringent action.
Police teams launched an intensive search immediately after the attack. On Sunday, acting on information, they located Hemanth in the Atmakur forest. When he attempted to escape (with some reports indicating he attacked personnel with stones), officers opened fire. Heavy security was subsequently deployed at the hospital where the injured accused is under treatment. Officials continue to investigate the full sequence, security lapses at the school, and the precise motive.
The attack has highlighted concerns over school safety and the need for stricter measures to prevent such targeted violence against students.
