The attack unfolded at 10:30 am on a Saturday when a 21‑year‑old man burst into a Class 10 classroom at Zilla Parishad High School in Raptadu village, carrying a running chainsaw that screamed across the tiled floor. The teacher, Rajeshwari, recounts the frantic silence that broke when the chainsaw’s roar split the air and the boy lunged at two girls seated in the front row.
One victim, Geethika, sustained a critical laceration to her head and neck, prompting an immediate transport to Government General Hospital in Anantapur. The second, Lakshmi, suffered a deep cut to her arm; her condition remains unstable as doctors monitor her vitals. Both girls were rushed to the hospital for emergency treatment, with plans to transfer Geethika to a Bengaluru facility by air ambulance.
Police identified the assailant as Hemanth, also known as Dummu, a 21‑year‑old from Nagalur village in Dharmavaram mandal. He fled the school premises and was intercepted at Dharmavaram railway station, where officers secured his arrest on the spot. According to the preliminary report, he was a distant relative of one of the girls, raising questions about motive.
Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu posted a scathing statement on social media, saying he was personally monitoring the injured student’s recovery and had ordered the medical team to give her the highest priority. He also demanded the swift delivery of the harshest legal punishment for the attacker, underscoring the government’s zero‑tolerance stance on school violence.
Education Minister Nara Lokesh echoed the CM’s condemnation, calling the act "utterly inhuman" and promising a thorough investigation. The police are now probing the attacker’s background and any potential links to the victims, while the district administration has tightened security protocols across all schools in Anantapur district. The next phase will see a court hearing scheduled for early next week to determine the charges and potential sentencing for Hemanth.