POCSO accused on bail allegedly kills minor victim, her family and own wife, children in Telangana

A man out on bail in a Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act case allegedly carried out a gruesome killing spree across two families in Telangana's Ranga Reddy district, leaving six people dead, including the teenage girl who had accused him of sexual harassment.

Police have identified the accused as Rajkumar (35), who remains absconding. Investigators have launched an intensive manhunt after he allegedly murdered his wife and two young sons before targeting the 17-year-old girl, her mother and grandmother in separate attacks on Friday night.

According to police, Rajkumar allegedly first attacked his wife, Parvathi Saritha (30), and their sons, aged four years and one year, at their home in Shabad. Investigators suspect the children were asleep when they were killed, while preliminary findings suggest a violent struggle took place before Parvathi was murdered.

Police believe the accused then drove to the residence of the 17-year-old girl who had filed a POCSO complaint against him earlier this year. Investigators allege he forcibly took the teenager in his vehicle to a secluded location, where she was killed.

The girl's 45-year-old mother and 65-year-old maternal grandmother were also allegedly murdered at their residence. Her 20-year-old sister, who is a person with disabilities, survived the attack and was reportedly not harmed.

The shocking case has drawn attention because Rajkumar had been arrested in May after the teenager accused him of stalking and sexually harassing her. Police alleged that he repeatedly followed the girl from her coaching institute to her home and pressured her to accept his proposal.

Although booked under the POCSO Act, Rajkumar later secured anticipatory bail after the court observed that the offences invoked carried a maximum punishment of less than seven years.

Investigators said the accused allegedly called his father after the killings and confessed that he had murdered members of both families. He also reportedly claimed he intended to die by suicide before switching off his mobile phone. However, police said there is no confirmation that he acted on that statement.

Police have formed multiple teams to trace the accused, who remains on the run.

Investigators also revealed that Rajkumar and Parvathi had a love marriage in 2018 and lived in Shabad and Devalaguda. The couple had three children, though their eldest daughter had died during infancy.

During the investigation, family members reportedly told police that Rajkumar had a history of behavioural issues, gambling addiction and mounting financial debts. Detectives are examining whether any of these factors, along with the pending POCSO case, contributed to the alleged crimes.

Forensic teams have examined the crime scenes, and the bodies have been sent for post-mortem examination. Police are reconstructing the sequence of events while continuing efforts to apprehend the accused. The motive behind the killings remains under investigation.

With IANS inputs