Podu farmers assault a forest beat officer in Kothagudem, booked

A forest beat officer and a watcher were attacked by locals, including a Guthikoya woman, while planting saplings in the Julurupadu forest range of Kothagudem district. The incident, which occurred on August 29, involved physical assault, threats, and abuse.

Kothagudem: An incident of podu farmers assaulting a forest beat officer recently came to light in Julurupadu forest range in the district.

It was said that the forest beat officer K Vijayalakshmi and watcher Tejavat Ramu, while on August 29 noticed that many plants had been cut down in a plantation in Raasaganigutta, compartment number 31 in Papakollu beat area.

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When they were planting new plants in the area as per directions from senior officials, locals Madi Seetharamulu, Madi Praveen and Madi Muthamma of Elakaloddu village came there and obstructed them.

They told the staff that it was a common practice for Guthikoyas to cut down trees and cultivate forest land, and warned that if they were stopped, they would kill the forest staff. The trio then instigated a Guthikoya woman, Madvi Hidima, to attack the forest staff.

The woman hit Vijayalakshmi with a stone and dragged her by the hair. While their watcher was filming the video, the assailants ran away. After a while, another woman, Bachala Narasamma, arrived and allegedly misbehaved with the staff, hurled abuses and issued death threats.

Plants worth Rs. 15,000 were cut down to cultivate cotton in the forest land. Based on the complaint of the beat officer Julurupadu SI, Badavath Ravi registered a case against the accused on Thursday and launched an investigation.