Superintendent of Police P. Jagadeesh spoke to Inspector Srikanth at the Government General Hospital in Anantapur on Monday. | Photo credit: BY ARRANGEMENT
Police on Monday (December 22, 2025) opened fire on the accused after he assaulted a circle inspector who had gone to arrest him in connection with a case of attempted murder on the outskirts of the city. The accused injured three persons with a knife and attempted to attack another, prompting the police to fire two shots to apprehend the fleeing suspect.
According to Superintendent of Police P. Jagadeesh, four friends from Naik Nagar — Chakali Raja, Ajay, Sohail and Akram — were consuming alcohol at Arvind Nagar around 7 pm on Sunday. After some time, Raja demanded that his friends buy more alcohol, leading to an argument. In a fit of rage, Ajay stabbed Raju in the stomach with a knife. Raja was taken to the State General Hospital where he is currently on a ventilator. A case was registered and the police launched a manhunt for Ajay, who fled the scene.
On Monday morning at around 8.30 am, Anantapur City Police Inspector II Srikanth received information that Ajay was hiding near the TV tower area where the “shikharis” (people from the hunter community) reside. “Our sub-inspector Rupendra Babu, constables Raghu Naik, Panava, Sudhakar and others went to the area in a mufti in a car to nab him. We surrounded Ajay from all sides and were closing in on him when he noticed a police team coming towards him and attacked the car driver with a knife. He later fled into a nearby bush but nabshiyyy also tried to stab him. he also tried to stab the woman but luckily she ran away,” said Mr. Srikanth. Ajay even tried to attack constable Raghu but he was lucky.
The injured driver of the Baba car was taken to a private hospital for treatment.
Mr. Srikanth said Ajay jumped into the lake next to the bushes and ran to the other side. “We searched the lake but did not find him. Then we rushed to the other side on two-wheelers and in police vehicles and started a search,” he said.
Ajay hid in the sugarcane fields and we immediately surrounded them from all sides. “The sugarcane fields were thick and very high. I warned Ajay to surrender but suddenly he attacked me with a knife and hit me on the left shoulder. I immediately pulled out my 9mm service weapon and fired in the air as a warning, I again asked him to surrender. Ajay did not comply and charged at me again, at which point I shot him in the knees,” Mr Srikanth said.
“Even after being hit by a bullet, Ajay shouted at us that he would not hesitate to kill us if we came near him,” Srikanth said. Both Srikanth and Ajay were shifted to GGH for treatment. Ajay has a criminal record and is known to be very aggressive, Mr. Srikanth added.
SP Jagadeesh, who visited the injured CI in the hospital, said strict action would be taken against Ajay as per law.
Published – 22 Dec 2025 20:46 IST
