A 35-year-old man accused in a Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (Pocso) Act case allegedly murdered six people, including his wife, two young sons, a 17-year-old girl who had filed a sexual harassment complaint against him, her mother and grandmother in Telangana’s Rangareddy district, police said on Saturday.
The accused, P Rajkumar, a farmer from Daivalaguda village in Shahbad mandal under the Future City Police Commissionerate, allegedly killed the victims at different locations late on Friday and is absconding, police said, adding that they have launched a manhunt to trace him.
The deceased were identified as the minor girl, her 45-year-old mother, 65-year-old grandmother, Rajkumar’s wife Saritha (33), and their four-year-old and two-year-old sons.
Future City police commissioner Tarun Joshi said, “Accused Rajkumar was booked under Sections 11 and 12 of the Pocso Act on May 16 after the girl and her family lodged a complaint accusing him of stalking and sexually harassing her. He was detained for questioning on May 26, but since the offences carried a punishment of less than seven years, he was released on a personal bond of ₹20,000 after obtaining anticipatory bail.”
Joshi said Rajkumar first went to the girl’s house in Shabad town, where he allegedly murdered her mother and grandmother while they were asleep. “He then allegedly abducted the girl in a car and drove her to his native village of Daivalaguda, where he allegedly slit her throat near Akhil Sagar Lake,” he added.
{{/usCountry}}Joshi said Rajkumar first went to the girl’s house in Shabad town, where he allegedly murdered her mother and grandmother while they were asleep. “He then allegedly abducted the girl in a car and drove her to his native village of Daivalaguda, where he allegedly slit her throat near Akhil Sagar Lake,” he added.
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Police said the accused did not harm the minor girl’s elder sister, who has physical and intellectual disabilities.
Rajkumar subsequently went to his house, about 250 metres from the lake, and killed his wife and his two sons, who were all asleep, the commissioner said. Police said he used a sickle and a knife to stab the victims and slit their throats.
Immediately after the murders, the accused called his father and confessed to the crimes, telling him that he was going to take his own life, police said, adding that he then switched off his phone.
The parents of the accused then reported the matter to the police.
Rajkumar fled the scene and remains absconding, police said.
The six bodies were sent to a hospital for post-mortem examination, police said.
The police commissioner said prima facie Rajkumar appeared to have targeted the girl’s family to take revenge for the POCSO case filed against him. “His family members said he had become addicted to gambling, accumulated debts through loans, and was under severe mental stress. The exact motive for the killings is under investigation,” Joshi said.
Police said that they have registered two cases and formed 10 special teams to trace the absconding accused using CCTV footage, mobile phone analysis, technical evidence and toll plaza records.
Rangareddy district collector C Narayana Reddy announced a reward of ₹2 lakh for information leading to Rajkumar’s arrest and suspended a sub-inspector for alleged negligence in handling the earlier Pocso case.