Class 10 girl was attacked at school with a chainsaw. Her family can’t understand why

The family of the Class 10 girl who was attacked with a chainsaw at a Zilla Parishad school in Raptadu, Anantapur district, is still struggling to come to terms with the incident. They have said they are unable to understand why she was targeted.

On Friday, a 21-year-old man stated to be a relative was arrested in connection with the alleged attack at the school. The girl suffered deep cuts to her neck and abdomen, while her right hand was nearly severed.

Another student was injured while attempting to intervene. Both students are stated to be critical.

The family said it was unable to fathom the reason for the attack. “She hardly spoke with anyone. She is shy and only interested in her studies, and is close only to the friend who tried to protect her. We do not know if he spoke with her or pursued her. Every morning, she went by autorickshaw to school with other students and returned in the same vehicle,” one relative said. Her brother added: “She is a brilliant student.”

The suspect was arrested at Dharmavaram Railway Station. He is a wholesale tomato vendor. Police teams are investigating the circumstances surrounding the incident.

Anantapuram Circle Inspector C Srikanth said the school’s main gate was closed and all students were in their classrooms when the incident occurred. At about 10.30 am, while a Class 10 Mathematics lesson was underway, the watchman, who was manning the gate, went inside to fetch a bucket of water for the plants on the school premises. The suspect allegedly entered the school during this time.

Police said eyewitness accounts indicated that the suspect may have been waiting outside the school gate for several hours before the attack. The girl’s brother is also reported to be studying at the same school.

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“The family is distraught and is not in a position to give a statement. We have to establish if there was any connection between the suspect and the girl before the attack,” a police officer said.

The Zilla Parishad school has several CCTV cameras, and police have collected the recordings as part of the investigation. With the incident leaving students and teachers shaken, the school will remain closed on Monday. Police officials said security would be stepped up when the school reopens and that they were working to reassure parents that students would be kept safe.

A multi-disciplinary team of doctors is treating the girl, who suffered deep cuts to her neck, abdomen and face, while her right hand was nearly severed. Another student, who tried to intervene, was also seriously injured. Both are being treated at the Anantapur Government Hospital. They may be shifted to a super-speciality hospital in Bengaluru for advanced treatment.

The incident has triggered widespread outrage across Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, with ministers, politicians and citizens expressing concern.

I am deeply shaken and enraged by the barbaric attack on a Class 10 student inside her classroom at Raptadu ZP High School. Attackers who target our young girls inside schools have no place in our society.

I am personally tracking her recovery and have directed the medical team to give her the highest priority care. I have ordered the police to hunt down the monster responsible and deliver the harshest legal punishment swiftly.

— N Chandrababu Naidu (@ncbn) October 31, 2026

Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu condemned the attack, saying those who target young girls inside schools have no place in society. He also directed police officials to swiftly apprehend the accused and take stringent action under the law to ensure severe punishment.

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Later, the chief minister spoke to the student’s mother over the phone and offered her words of comfort and reassurance. He urged her to remain courageous and assured her that the accused would be punished severely. He also spoke to local MLA Paritala Sunitha about the medical treatment and assistance being provided to the injured students.