Accused Shamshabad killer denied stalking teen in bail plea before killing six

A 35-year-old farmer accused of killing six people had denied stalking a 16-year-old girl at an exam centre in Shamshabad, Hyderabad, in his anticipatory bail petition before allegedly committing the murders.

The accused, P Raj Kumar, claimed he was not present at the Shamshabad exam centre on May 16, where he was accused of stalking and threatening the teenage girl and her mother. On that day, the police had booked a case against him under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act for allegedly stalking the girl and holding her hand after she appeared for her intermediate exam.

According to the complaint, the girl's mother was present at the exam centre at the time of the incident. Raj Kumar allegedly threatened to kill both the girl and her mother when they resisted him. Following the complaint, Raj Kumar fled from Shabad and filed an anticipatory bail petition.

Raj Kumar's counsel argued that he was at a hospital with his ill wife on the day of the incident. However, investigating police officials stated they could not verify this alibi due to a lack of CCTV footage or witnesses.

The police opposed the bail petition, which was rejected twice. On the third attempt, the Ranga Reddy district POCSO court granted Raj Kumar anticipatory bail on June 12 because the punishment for the charges was under seven years. The court noted that the material part of the investigation was complete and the victim's statement had been recorded.

In his plea, Raj Kumar also denied installing CCTV cameras at his house to monitor the girl's movements, claiming he lived further away. Investigating officials refuted this, confirming that he lived right next door to the girl and had installed cameras.

Raj Kumar further claimed that the girl's mother filed a false case to avoid repaying money her late husband owed him. He claimed to have spent a large sum of money on the family, but police found no evidence to support this claim.

While granting bail, the court directed Raj Kumar to cooperate with the investigation and avoid contacting the victim or her mother. Police officials had filed a petition to record the girl's statement before a magistrate, but she was killed along with five others before the court could schedule a date.