Shabad murder case: Accused consumes pesticide, attempts suicide

Sources said the police rushed him to the hospital under tight security after he allegedly consumed pesticide while evading arrest.

Hyderabad: In a significant development in the Shabad sextuple murder case, the prime suspect, Raj Kumar, reportedly attempted suicide by consuming pesticide before the police could apprehend him. He was subsequently shifted to a hospital under police security, where he is undergoing treatment, according to sources.

Sources told Siasat.com that the police rushed Raj Kumar to the hospital under tight security after he allegedly consumed pesticide while evading arrest. His medical condition has not been officially disclosed, and the police are yet to issue an official statement on the development.

Raj Kumar, a resident of Daivalaguda village in Shabad mandal of Ranga Reddy district, is the prime suspect in the gruesome killing of six persons on the night of July 10–11. Investigators allege that the murders were an act of revenge over a case registered against him under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.

According to the police, a case was registered against Raj Kumar in May after a 17-year-old girl accused him of sexually harassing her. He was subsequently released on bail.

The police said that he first went to the girl’s house and fatally attacked her mother and grandmother before taking the girl to an isolated location, where she was allegedly killed.

The police further allege that Raj Kumar later returned to his own residence and killed his wife, Saritha, and their two young sons before fleeing. The six victims include the 17-year-old girl, her mother, her grandmother, Raj Kumar’s wife, and their two sons, aged about three and two years.

The incident triggered widespread outrage and raised questions over how a person facing serious charges and released on bail was allegedly able to carry out the killings.

Multiple police teams were formed to trace the suspect, and the investigation is continuing.