Andhra Police Shoot Chainsaw Attack Accused During Apprehension

Andhra Pradesh police said they fired six rounds at Hemanth during an attempted apprehension near Atmakur on Sunday, injuring the man accused of attacking two schoolgirls with a chainsaw. He was taken to Anantapur Government General Hospital for treatment, according to police and officials. Accounts differ over the circumstances of the firing. Police accounts reported that Hemanth was found in the Atmakur area and resisted officers as they tried to apprehend him. One account said he attacked personnel with a knife; another said he tried to escape while being taken for a crime-scene reconstruction and hurled stones at officers. The reports also differ on whether the shooting occurred during the initial apprehension or later while he was being transported. These details rely on police or official accounts, and no independent account of the encounter is described. The police action followed an attack at Zilla Parishad High School in Raptadu on October 31. Hemanth, 21, is accused of entering a classroom with a chainsaw and attacking two Class 10 students. One girl suffered critical injuries, and the other was hurt while trying to intervene, according to reports. The more seriously...