Thaindian News

Hyderabad, Dec 1 (IANS) A former Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) trooper went berserk, butchering seven people, including his two children in Andhra Pradesh’s Srikakulam district, police said. He was later arrested.

Shankar Rao brutally attacked the victims with a sword, sickle and knives for being witnesses against him in the case of his wife’s murder. He did not even spare his nine-year-old daughter and seven-year-old son, police said.

Two women and three men were also among those who lost their lives at his hands.

The killings began late Tuesday and continued till the early hours of Wednesday at Mettapetala village in Jalumuru mandal of Srikakulam district in north coastal Andhra Pradesh, about 600 km from here.

Shankar Rao escaped after committing the crime but was later arrested by the police.

He had allegedly murdered his wife in 2005. His children and some others were witnesses in the case which is being tried in a local court.

Shankar Rao, who was sacked from CRPF, began attacking his children and other witnesses late Tuesday. Eyewitnesses told the police that he butchered his children and then entered another house and hacked a couple to death.

People in the remote village spent a sleepless night as Rao continued attacking people till the early hours of Wednesday. He also threw country-made bombs, which he himself had made, and murdered three more villagers, who were also witnesses in the case.

The incident came to light only Wednesday morning when police reached Mettapetala from a nearby village. Policemen saw bodies lying on the streets. A sword, a sickle and two knives soaked in blood were found along with a dozen country-made bombs.

Deputy Inspector General of Police (Visakha range) Soumya Mishra said Shankar Rao now poses a serious threat to the lives of people and he can’t be released. “I feel that this man should get death sentence. We will do our best for successful prosecution as early as possible,” she said.

The gruesome crime committed by Shankar sent shock waves among people who had never seen or heard of such horrible crime in their region.