Depressed techie injures 24 in stabbing spree, shot dead

Hyderabad, Dec 22: A techie, who was depressed after failing to clear the civil services exams, went on a stabbing spree on Tuesday injuring 24 people, before police shot him down. The incident took place in Karimnagar town of Telangana. According to police, 25-year-old Balvinder Singh attacked his parents with a sword following an argument at home. Singh, who works for a software firm in Bengaluru, then stepped out to attack passers-by, leading to panic among people. Some pedestrians, two bikers and an auto-rickshaw driver were injured. Police, who swung into action after learning about the incident, also came under attack. A constable who tried to snatch the sword from the man sustained injuries. As the situation slipped out of control, circle inspector Vijay Sarathi opened fire to disarm the man. A critically injured Singh was taken to a hospital, where he died. Singh's parents and others who received grievous injuries were under treatment. According to family members, Singh was a meritorious student since school. He stood sixth in the engineering, agriculture and medical common entrance test (EAMCET) in the district. After engineering in electronics, he got a job in Bengaluru and was earning Rs.18 lakh a year. Singh had a dream of passing the civil services exam. However, he failed to qualify and as a result went into depression. The man apparently lost his mental balance and was having frequent fights with his parents.