‘Preserve amputated leg of chainsaw attack accused’: Andhra Pradesh HC orders hospital

The Andhra Pradesh High Court has directed the Anantapur Government General Hospital to preserve the amputated right leg of Hemanth alias Dummu, the 21-year-old accused in the chainsaw attack on a Class 10 schoolgirl in Raptadu on October 31.A bench of chief justice Lisa Gill and justice Challa Gunaranjan passed the order on Tuesday. It will take up the case again on December 30 (Photo:aphc.gov.in)A bench of chief justice Lisa Gill and justice Challa Gunaranjan passed the order on Tuesday on a petition that sought a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the police firing at the accused, Hemanth alias Dummu.The high court told hospital superintendent Dr D Malleswari and the police to take necessary steps to preserve the amputated limb. The bench also told the government to file counter affidavits on the application and adjourned the case to December 30.Hemanth was picked up in the district’s Atmakur forest on November 1, a day after he allegedly attacked the schoolgirl with the chainsaw. She survived the attack and is being treated at Manipal Hospital in Bengaluru. According to the police, Hemanth allegedly tried to escape when he was being taken to reconstruct the crime scene and hurled stones at police personnel, injuring them. The police personnel subsequently opened fire at the suspect, who sustained injuries to his leg.Mangalagiri-based advocate Gunda Gopikrishna filed the petition on November 2.The following day, doctors at Anantapur’s district hospital amputated Hemanth’s right leg after gangrene set in from damaged blood vessels.During proceedings on Tuesday, special government pleader S Pranathi told the court that the accused was in judicial custody and undergoing treatment at the hospital.Also Read: Andhra youth, who attacked schoolgirl with chainsaw, injured in police firing during ‘escape attempt’She said the amputated limb would undergo standard forensic testing and the relevant assessment would be shared with the bench.An application filed by the petitioner to implead education department officials, however, was rejected by the court, which questioned whether there was a link between the relief sought in the petition and the education departmentDoctors indicated that Hemanth was also suffering from severe drug withdrawal symptoms.Medical superintendent Dr D Malleswari said Hemanth suffered a sudden drop in pulse rate and fell from his bed earlier this week, requiring emergency medical intervention.Dr Malleswari said individuals who have become dependent on narcotic substances may experience severe physical and psychological reactions when they suddenly stop consuming them. “Such withdrawal symptoms can include fluctuations in blood pressure, an unusually rapid or slow heartbeat, mental instability, insomnia, anxiety and digestive disorders,” she said.