People gather outside the Shabad police station on Saturday following the murders in Shabad mandal of Rangareddy district.
| Photo Credit: G RAMAKRISHNA
Hours after a Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (PoCSO) Act accused went on a killing spree in Shabad, the Future City Police on Saturday (July 11, 2026) suspended Shabad police sub-inspector Ramesh, the investigating officer (IO) in the PoCSO case. Simultaneously, seven special teams fanned out across Telangana in search of B. Raj Kumar, who allegedly embarked on a murderous spree.
Police said Raj Kumar, 35, began the attacks at a house on Kummariguda Road, Shabad, around 11 p.m. on Friday (July 10, 2026), where the 17-year-old minor girl who had accused him in the PoCSO case lived with her family.
Raj Kumar, with his parents, was their neighbour for many years until he moved away about six months ago with wife and two sons.
On Friday (July 10, 2026) night, armed with a knife, he allegedly killed the girl’s mother Lakshmi, and maternal grandmother, Rukkama, before taking the minor girl away. He murdered her in Daivalaguda village, about 6 km away. A differently-abled girl, who was also present in the house at the time, was left unharmed by the assailant.
Future City Police Commissioner Tarun Joshi confirmed that preliminary investigations have ruled out the possibility of sexual assault prior to the murder. The officer added that Raj Kumar then killed his wife, Sarita, and their two sons, aged four years and one-and-a-half years, in a similar manner. Police said the murders were committed around 11.30 p.m. on Friday (July 10, 2026).
“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 Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (PoCSO) Act after the minor girl’s family accused him of stalking and sexually harassing her. He went into hiding and 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.
Future City Police Commissioner Tarun Joshi said seven special teams were working to trace the accused and expressed confidence that he was still within Telangana.
People gather outside the Shabad police station on July 11, 2026, following the murders in Shabad mandal of Rangareddy district.
| Photo Credit:
G. Ramakrishna
By Saturday (July 11, 2026) 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 victim’s 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).
Published – July 12, 2026 02:45 pm IST
