On June 30, a Telangana woman forest department official was attacked by a mob led by Koneru Krishna Rao, brother of Koneru Konappa, a Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) MLA. The incident happened in Sarsala village of Komaram Bheem Asifabad district.
Krishna Rao was arrested after a video of the incident surfaced on the internet. C Anitha, the women forest official, was filmed trying to escape in a tractor from the ruthless beating by the mob.
Following the attack, the TRS working president K T Rama Rao condemned the attack and said that no one is above the law. Congress and BJP too criticised the TRS government for failing to provide security to the women official.
What happened?
As per the officials, Anitha along with her officers went to Sarsala village to plant saplings under an afforestation programme, as a part of the Kaleshwaram Irrigation project. Seeing her plant saplings, few men headed by Krishna rushed to the spot and claimed that the land belonged to them. The mob started hitting Anitha with bamboo sticks. In the viral video, it can be seen that Anitha made several attempts to calm the mob. Despite her attempts, the crowd continued beating her with sticks, until other police official and Forest department officials came to bring the situation under control.
Anitha was taken to the hospital for her treatment. She told the media person that Krishna had first hit her with a bamboo stick and then others attacked her.
#WATCH Telangana: A police team & forest guards were attacked allegedly by Telangana Rashtra Samithi workers in Sirpur Kagaznagar block of Komaram Bheem Asifabad district, during a tree plantation drive. (29.06.2019) pic.twitter.com/pZ0H3Qg2Ud
— ANI (@ANI) June 30, 2019
What did the authority say?
Superintendent of Police Malla Reddy confirmed that Krishna Rao was arrested. Reddy further asserted that the presence of the political leaders encouraged the villagers to attack.
Krishna was booked under Sections 353 (Assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty), 307 (Attempt to murder), 332 (Voluntarily causing hurt to deter public servant from his duty), 147 (Rioting), 427 (Mischief causing damage), 148 (Rioting, armed with deadly weapon), 509 (Word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman), 507 (criminal intimidation) of the IPC.
Cases have been registered against the other 15 too. The police have also claimed that others involved in the incident will be arrested soon.
Telangana Principal Chief Conservator of Forest PK Jha claimed that the concerned land belonged to the forest department, and the information was apprised to the MLA. Jha told the reporters that earlier villagers have tried to encroach the land, however forest officials got them vacated.
He also mentioned that this is a serious issue and it will be taken up to a higher level. After the incident, Krishna Rao who was elected as the vice chairman of the Komaram Bheem Asifabad Zilla Parishad has stepped down from the post. The MLA was quoted by The New Minute saying that his brother was not involved in the attack and had only gone to handle the matter.
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