Former CM YS Jagan Mohan Reddy will visit an Anantapur student attacked at school. The accused was arrested after a police encounter, and the state government has deployed counselors to support the affected students at the school.
Former CM to Visit Attack Victim
Former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister and YSR Congress Party president YS Jagan Mohan Reddy is scheduled to visit Bengaluru on Monday to meet a Class 10 student, Gopika, who was allegedly attacked with a chainsaw inside her classroom at a Zilla Parishad High School in Rapthadu, Anantapur district. The student is currently undergoing treatment at Manipal Hospital.
Jagan Mohan Reddy will visit Manipal Hospital in Bengaluru at 2:15 pm to enquire about the student's health condition and the treatment being provided to her. He will also meet her family members and offer them support.
Police Action and Accused Status
The accused in the Raptadu incident was arrested following an exchange of fire with police on the outskirts of the Atmakur forest area in Anantapur district, Superintendent of Police (SP) Jagadeesh said on Sunday. The accused allegedly attempted to attack police personnel with a knife during the operation, injuring an inspector. Police subsequently opened fire, leaving the accused critically injured. He is undergoing treatment at GJ Chananthapuram, the SP said.
Providing details, Jagadeesh said the police had formed around 15 teams to trace the accused following the incident and had been working round the clock. "Around six rounds were fired below the knee and the bottom portion of the body," he said. The accused was subsequently shifted to the hospital, where his condition remains critical. Police will interrogate him after his condition permits, the SP added.
Support and Investigation Measures
Meanwhile, Andhra Pradesh Education Minister Nara Lokesh on Sunday announced a trauma-response initiative for students affected by the incident. In a post on X, Lokesh said a dedicated team of 20 mental health counsellors had been deployed to conduct door-to-door visits to the homes of all 32 students of Class 10-A, as well as girl students in Classes 8, 9 and 10.
"Following the deeply disturbing incident at Rapthadu, our priority is to ensure that every affected child feels safe and supported. We have deployed a dedicated team of 20 mental health counsellors who are visiting the homes of all 32 students of Class X-A, as well as girl students of Classes 8, 9 and 10. They are speaking with the children and their parents, offering emotional support and helping them cope with the trauma," Lokesh said.
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Saturday condemned the attack and directed the police to swiftly track down the accused and ensure the harshest legal punishment. According to a statement from the Chief Minister's Office (CMO), Naidu also spoke to the injured student over the phone in the presence of her mother. He assured her to "stay brave" and promised that the "accused would be caught and severely punished".
The student was allegedly attacked by a man inside her classroom at the school. Anantapur Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Ashwin Manideep Kakumanu confirmed the incident on Saturday. "An incident of an attack on a Class 10 girl student at a Zilla Parishad High School in Rapthadu, Anantapur district, has been reported. The accused allegedly attacked the student brutally with a saw inside the school classroom," the DSP said.
On Saturday morning, an intruder -- identified as a relative of the victim -- entered a Class 10 classroom during school hours and brutally attacked a female student with a wood-cutting saw/blade, injuring another classmate who tried to intervene. (ANI)
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