The Telangana police have formed 12 teams and intensified the search for a POCSO accused, who allegedly killed six people including the victim, her family and his own family, after being granted anticipatory bail in the case.
P Rajkumar (35), a farmer and an accused in a POCSO case, allegedly killed six people-his wife and two children, besides three other members of another family late on Friday night, who had lodged a complaint against him at different locations in Shabad mandal, for harassing their minor daughter.
Based on technical inputs, other clues and details gathered so far, including from his friends and relatives, police are searching for the accused at different places, Future City Police Commissioner Tarun Joshi told PTI.
"Police have formed 12 teams and launched a massive hunt to locate the accused. Our teams are searching for him and we will get (nab) him," he said.
Investigators analysed technical data from his calls, examined the CCTV footage and located the car the accused hired a day before he "committed the murders."
Rajkumar had rented out the car from a transporter by making an online payment from his wife's phone, police said.
After the vehicle ran out of fuel, the accused left the car near railway tracks under Nandigama Police Station limits.
Police are searching lodges, roadside dhabas, railway stations, and relatives' residences in Hyderabad among other places, and also in Srisailam in Andhra Pradesh, the official said.
His photos have been circulated and a cash reward of Rs 2 lakh has already been announced for anyone providing credible information leading to Rajkumar's apprehension.
"The teams are searching for him in isolated areas. Apart from it, the railway tracks were also searched by the police teams as he had told his father that he will commit suicide. But no body was found. The (Government Railway Police) GRP has also been intimated," Joshi said.
The man was booked under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act in May this year for stalking and harassing a minor girl, based on a complaint lodged by the girl's family.
He had recently secured anticipatory bail in the case, police said.
The accused used a sickle and a knife to stab and slit the victims' (six people) throats.
Immediately after the murders, the accused called his father and confessed to the crimes, telling him that he was going to take his own life, police said, adding that he then switched off his phone.
The parents of the accused then reported the matter to the police.
Rajkumar fled the scene and remains absconding.
When asked about the motive behind the murders, the investigators stated it was still not known.
Rajkumar's family members told police that he was addicted to online betting and gambling and had taken loans, which they believed had left him under severe stress.
They said he had cleared a large portion of his debts by selling his share of property (land), police said.
During the investigation it was revealed that he had attempted suicide in October last year by consuming poison due to mounting debts.
(With inputs from PTI)
