Man kills six persons including 17-year-old girl and two toddlers in Shabad near Hyderabad

A man wanted in a POCSO case allegedly murdered six people, including a 17-year-old girl, her mother, grandmother, his wife and two toddlers in Shabad mandal of Ranga Reddy district early Saturday. Police have launched a manhunt after the suspect fled.

Hyderabad: In one of the most gruesome crimes reported here in recent years, six persons, including a 17-year-old girl, a woman and two toddlers, were allegedly murdered by a man in Shabad mandal of Ranga Reddy district early on Saturday.

The police said the killings were linked to a POCSO case registered against the suspect earlier this year.

---

According to the police, Raj Kumar, a resident of Daivalaguda village in Shabad mandal, had been arrested in May after a 17-year-old girl lodged a complaint alleging that he had been harassing her.

Based on the complaint, police registered a case under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act on May 16. He was later released on bail.

The police said the suspect allegedly entered the girl’s house in the early hours of Saturday and attacked members of her family. Investigators suspect that he took the minor girl to a nearby agricultural field, where she was allegedly sexually assaulted and murdered.

He then allegedly killed her mother, Chityala Lakshmi (45), and grandmother, Chityala Rukkamma (65). In a separate incident soon afterwards, the suspect allegedly killed his wife, Parvathi Saritha (30), and their two children, Parikshit (3) and Daivikshit (2), at their residence.

The motive behind the killing of his own family members is yet to be established. The police said the suspect allegedly called up his parents after the murders and admitted that he had killed six people at two different locations before stating that he intended to end his own life.

His parents immediately informed the police. By the time police teams reached the crime scenes, the suspect had fled.

The bodies were shifted for post-mortem examination, and a case has been registered. Police have launched a manhunt to trace the absconding suspect.

Senior police officials including Future City Commissioner Tarun Joshi and other officials visited the scene. Further investigation is on.