Kullu: A man barged into a govt primary school and hacked a midday meal worker to death with a sickle in front of horrified children in Himachal Pradesh’s Kangra district on Thursday afternoon.Rakesh Kumar, alias Monu (48), was arrested within hours of the gruesome murder of Sulochana Devi, 58, after teachers forced him to flee by pelting stones at him in Chanour panchayat of Dehra subdivision, police said.
A police officer said Rakesh Kumar entered the premises at 12.20 pm. “When we heard the children screaming, we rushed outside and saw a man standing with a ‘darat’ in his hand and Sulochana lying in a pool of blood in the kitchen area. We immediately took the children inside the classrooms,” said Sarita, a teacher. “We asked the attacker to leave but he threatened us. Teachers from a nearby school reached the spot and chased the accused away by pelting stones at him.” Sarita added. Sulochana was taken to a nearby govt hospital but succumbed to her injuries, said an officer. He said the motive was unclear and the accused was being questioned. The broad daylight murder on the school premises sparked anger among parents and raised safety concerns. Many parents reached the school on Thursday and demanded measures from the administration to restrict the entry of outsiders without permission. MSID:: 128259394 413 |
