POCSO accused allegedly kills six, including minor, in Shabad

A man accused in a POCSO case allegedly killed six people, including the minor complainant, her mother and grandmother, and his wife and two children, in Shabad, Rangareddy district. Police launched a manhunt as protests erupted over alleged lapses.

Hyderabad: A 35-year-old man, accused in a POCSO case, went on a murderous rampage, mercilessly killing six people, including the minor girl who had filed the case against him, her mother and grandmother, and his wife and two young children, in Shabad of Rangareddy district on Friday night.

The gruesome incident sent shockwaves, raising questions about the law and order situation in the State and how a POCSO case accused could allegedly reach and target the girl complainant, apart from her mother and grandmother. The suspect, Raj Kumar, from Daivalaguda village, then went to his home and allegedly killed his own wife and two young children.

---

The victims were identified as Raj Kumar’s wife, Parvathi Saritha (30), their son Parikshit (3), daughter Daivikshit (2), the 17-year-old girl involved in the POCSO case, her mother Lakshmi (42), and grandmother Rukkamma (60).

According to the police, at around 10.45 pm, the suspect went to the house of the teenager, whose family had lodged a POCSO complaint against him in May, alleging that he had been stalking her. “When the girl’s mother opened the door, the suspect allegedly stabbed her to death before entering the house and killing the girl’s grandmother, who was asleep. He then allegedly forced the teenager into his car and drove to a lake where he stabbed the girl to death and abandoned her body near the bund,” the police said.

The suspect then returned home to Daivalaguda village at about 11.21 pm and, within six minutes, allegedly slit the throats of his wife and two children while they were asleep.

Police said the suspect later telephoned his father, informed him about the killings and fled in a car. His father immediately alerted the police, who rushed to the crime scenes. Senior police officials also reached the spot. “The suspect is absconding, and we have launched a manhunt to trace him,” Future City Commissioner Tarun Joshi said.

As the day progressed, local villagers and relatives of the victims staged a dharna outside Shabad police station, alleging that the police had failed to take the earlier complaint seriously and demanding action against the officials concerned.

BRS leaders, including former minister P Sabitha Indra Reddy and R S Praveen Kumar, were taken into preventive custody while attempting to proceed to Shabad. Meanwhile, angry villagers tried to gherao local MLA Kale Yadaiah when he attempted to interact with the bereaved family members.