ANTANAPUR — Hemanth, the accused in a chainsaw attack on two Class 10 students at a Zilla Parishad government school in Raptadu, Andhra Pradesh, sustained severe gunshot injuries during a police encounter in the Atmakur forest area on Sunday evening, officials said.
The incident occurred Saturday morning when Hemanth allegedly attacked the students with a chainsaw inside the school classroom. One girl sustained severe injuries and was shifted to Manipal Hospital in Bengaluru, where a multidisciplinary team of doctors performed complex orthopaedic and plastic surgeries. She is now in the recovery phase.
Hemanth fled the scene after the attack. Special police teams tracking him located him near the Atmakur forest area on Sunday evening. During a confrontation, police opened six rounds of fire after he allegedly tried to attack inspector Venkateswarulu, officials said. Hemanth sustained severe gunshot injuries and was admitted to Government General Hospital, Anantapur, in critical condition due to blood loss and shock.
Doctors immediately arranged three units of blood and provided emergency treatment. He is conscious and responding to treatment, with his blood pressure, pulse rate and breathing currently normal, hospital superintendents said. However, he has sustained severe injuries to both lower limbs, with the right leg more severely affected than the left.
CT scans, MRI and angiograms were conducted to assess blood supply and vascular damage. The examinations revealed reduced blood circulation in both legs, with the right leg being more severely affected. The possibility of amputation of the right leg above the knee is being assessed by a team of orthopaedic specialists and general surgeons, who will examine the extent of vascular damage in the operation theatre before deciding whether to proceed.
Further specialised scans are being conducted, and an anaesthetist is monitoring his condition to assess fitness for surgery. Hospital officials said the accused is stable but faces a serious risk of losing part of his right leg due to compromised blood circulation.
The case has drawn condemnation from women's rights groups and demands for improved school safety measures, even as the medical condition of both the victim and the accused remains the primary focus of treatment.
