Man on Bail in POCSO Case Kills Six in Telangana; Police Officer Suspended
Hours after a man accused under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (PoCSO) Act went on a killing spree in Shabad, the Future City Police on Saturday suspended Shabad police sub-inspector Ramesh, the investigating officer in the POCSO case. Seven special teams have been deployed across Telangana to search for the accused, identified as B. Raj Kumar, 35.
The attacks began around 11 p.m. on Friday at a house on Kummariguda Road, Shabad, where the 17-year-old minor girl who had accused him in the POCSO case lived with her family. Raj Kumar, who had been a neighbour for many years before moving away six months ago, allegedly killed the girl's mother, Lakshmi, and maternal grandmother, Rukkama, using a knife. He then took the minor girl away and murdered her in Daivalaguda village, about 6 km away. A differently-abled girl present in the house was left unharmed.
Future City Police Commissioner Tarun Joshi confirmed that preliminary investigations have ruled out sexual assault prior to the murder. Subsequently, Raj Kumar allegedly killed his wife, Sarita, and their two sons, aged four years and one-and-a-half years, in a similar manner around 11.30 p.m.
“After the killings, Raj Kumar allegedly telephoned his father around 11.50 p.m. and confessed to the murders and told him he intended to die by suicide. His father immediately rushed to the Shabad police station and alerted the police, setting off a massive manhunt,” said an officer.
Raj Kumar was booked in May under Sections 11 and 12 of the PoCSO Act for stalking and sexually harassing the minor girl. He secured anticipatory bail and was released on a personal bond of ₹20,000 by the local court, as the alleged offences carried a maximum punishment of less than seven years.
By Saturday afternoon, anger over the killings had spilled onto the streets as around 100 people, including grieving relatives, neighbours, and villagers, gathered outside the Shabad police station. They demanded the immediate arrest of Raj Kumar, action against the suspended investigating officer, and compensation for the victims' families. The protest continued until senior police officers assured them that every effort was being made to apprehend the accused.
Based on complaints lodged by the relatives of the deceased, two separate cases of murder have been registered under Section 103(1) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). Police Commissioner Tarun Joshi said seven special teams are working to trace the accused and expressed confidence that he is still within Telangana.
