GUNTUR: While officially announcing the arrest of a 19-year-old youth in connection with the daylight murder of an engineering student, a senior police officer on Monday decried the apathy of onlookers, who remained mere spectators as she was stabbed multiple times.
DIG (Law and Order & Coordination, AP Police Head Quarters) SV Rajasekhar Babu identified the accused as Kunchala Sasikrishna, a now-unemployed mechanic, of Matluru village of Vatticheruku mandal in Guntur.
He allegedly killed the BTech student, Nalla Ramyasri, after she had repeatedly rejected his advances, the officer said. The 20-year-old student of Paramayakunta in Old Guntur was stabbed several times after an altercation over her refusal to accompany him on Sunday.
Officer Babu said the duo had met and got acquainted with each other on Instagram. Sasikrishna later met her in college, demanding her love. Following the demand, she had been keeping a distance from the youth, who threatened to kill her if she did not love him. On Sunday, he carried out his threat. Her family was unaware of these developments, though the accused had been stalking her for months.
“If those who were witnessing the confrontation had intervened and stopped the accused, Ramyasri might have survived,” the DIG said. The officer urged girls and women to be wary of social media friendships. He said an awareness campaign on the dangers of social media and cyber crimes would be soon launched as per the directions of DGP Gautam Sawang. He said Sasikrishna was arrested while he was trying to escape into agriculture fields under Narasaraopet police limits.
When police caught up with him, he inflicted wounds on himself with the knife he was carrying. “He was overpowered and caught, and was provided treatment before his arrest. He will be produced in a court,” the DIG explained. After registering the case under relevant sections of the IPC and SC-ST Amendment Act, it was transferred to DSP (Disha).