After the Pocso case was registered in May, the accused was granted anticipatory bail and released on personal bond by the police because the offence carried a maximum sentence of less than seven years. (Image generated using AI)A 35-year-old man accused of stalking a 16-year-old girl in Telangana’s Ranga Reddy district allegedly murdered six people on Friday night, including the girl, her mother, and her grandmother, before killing his own wife and two sons. The man was granted anticipatory bail and released on personal bond last month.The incident occurred in a town and the accused’s native village, both of which are just kilometres away from Hyderabad, on Friday night. A manhunt is underway to locate the accused, the police said.According to Telangana Police, the accused drove 6 km from his village to the town at around 10.45 pm. He went to the home of the 16-year-old whose family had filed a Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (Pocso) case against him for stalking her and knocked on the door, the police said. When the victim’s mother opened the door, he allegedly attacked her with a knife, killing her on the spot. He then entered the house and allegedly killed the girl’s 60-year-old grandmother, who was asleep.According to the police, he forced the teenager into his car and drove to a lake in his village. There, he allegedly stabbed the girl to death and left her body near the lake bund. The only person whom he left unharmed was the victim’s mentally challenged sister.Also Read | POCSO case: Son of Union minister Bandi Sanjay Kumar gets bail on Rs 1 lakh bondMurdered wife, two sonsThe accused then headed to his own home. Around 11.20 pm, he allegedly slit the throats of his 31-year-old wife and their two sons, aged four and 18 months. The attack on the boys happened when they were asleep, the police said.After the killings, the accused called his father and allegedly confessed to the crime. He then boarded his car and drove off, fleeing the village, the police said. The police reached the spot and sent the bodies for post-mortem examination.The Telangana Police said that after the Pocso case was registered in May, the accused went into hiding and later applied for anticipatory bail in June at a local court. He was granted anticipatory bail and was released on personal bond by the police because the offence carried a maximum sentence of less than seven years.Story continues below this adThe motive of the crime is not known, the police said.Nikhila Henry is an Assistant Editor at The Indian Express, based in Hyderabad. With a career spanning 17 years, she has established herself as an authoritative voice on South Indian affairs, specialising in the complex intersections of politics, education, and social justice. Experience & Career: Nikhila commenced her journalism career in 2007 as an education correspondent for The Times of India in Hyderabad,where she gained recognition for her coverage of student politics. Her professional trajectory includes a four-year tenure at The Hindu, where she focused on minority affairs and social welfare. In 2019, she took on a leadership role as the South Bureau Chief for The Quint, where she directed regional coverage across all five South Indian states. Her expansive career also includes a tenure at the BBC in New Delhi and contributions to prestigious international outlets such as The Sunday Times (London) and HuffPost India. Expertise & Focus Areas Nikhila’s reportage is marked by a deep-seated understanding of grassroots movements and institutional policy. Her core focus areas include: Regional Politics: Comprehensive analysis of the socio-political dynamics across South India. Education & Student Movements: Chronicling the evolution of Indian academics and the rise of youth activism. Minority Affairs: Rigorous reporting on the welfare, rights, and challenges facing marginalized communities. National Beat: Elevating regional stories to national prominence through investigative and on-ground reporting. Authoritativeness & Trust A respected figure in Indian media, Nikhila is not only a seasoned reporter but also an accomplished author and editor. She authored the critically acclaimed book The Ferment: Youth Unrest in India and edited Caste is Not a Rumour, a collection of writings by Rohith Vemula. Her dual background in daily news reporting and long-form authorship allows her to provide readers with a nuanced, historically-informed perspective on contemporary Indian society. Find all stories by Nikhila Henry here. ... Read MoreStay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram