The hunt for Shabad’s killer intensifies, the police deploy 12 teams

The future city police on Sunday (July 12) intensified the hunt for B. Raj Kumar, the main accused in the killing of six people in Shabad mandal of Rangareddy district, by expanding the search operation to 12 teams, including personnel from the Special Operations Team (SOT), Central Crime Station (CCS) and other specialized units.

The police also dismissed rumors circulating on social media that the Station House officer of the Shabad police station had been suspended or remanded in connection with the case, saying both claims were false.

A police officer involved in the investigation said the accused remained at large as of 9:00pm on Sunday despite an extensive search. All teams were deployed in Telangana, with officers combing several locations and chasing leads to trace him.

Raj Kumar is accused of killing six people in two separate attacks late Friday night. Police said he allegedly first targeted the family of the minor girl, who had earlier filed a complaint against him under Sections 11 and 12 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offenses Act (POCSO), before traveling about six kilometers to his house in Daivalaguda village, where he allegedly killed his wife Sarita and their two young sons.

The killings sparked widespread outrage and relatives accused the police of inaction despite repeated complaints that the accused had threatened the complainant’s family after he was released on a personal bail of ₹20,000 in a POCSO case. The investigating officer in the previous case has since been suspended pending an investigation.

Meanwhile, the bodies of Raj Kumar’s wife and two sons, along with those of the complainant, her mother and grandmother, were handed over to their families after post-mortem on Saturday evening.

A relative of Sarita said her body and the bodies of the two children were released around 11:00 p.m. The funeral procession began shortly after and the last rites were completed around midnight.

The police insisted that the search for the accused will continue until he is traced and arrested.

Published – 12 Jul 2026 21:44 IST