Telangana: Tension prevails as locals, forest officials pelt stones at each other in Adilabad

ension erupted in Keshavapatnam, Echoda mandal, after locals allegedly attacked forest and police officials during a plantation drive. Eleven forest staff were injured as both sides exchanged stone-pelting. The clash stemmed from land encroachment by suspected Multani community members

Adilabad: Mild tension prevailed for a while when locals including women allegedly pelted stones against Forest officials and police personnel during a plantation drive at Keshavapatnam village in Echoda mandal on Sunday.

Around 50 locals, suspectedly members of the Multani community, allegedly resorted to attacking the forest officials when they were planting saplings on a piece of forest land situated near the village and located in Kawal Tiger Reserve. They expressed anger against the officials for damaging the standing cotton crop in the lands and taking up the plantation.

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The infuriated locals attacked the officials with sticks. They then pelted stones at the officials and around 100 policemen who were escorting the forest officials as well, resulting in mild tension and prompting the top police officials to rush to the spot and pacify the villagers.

The locals alleged that the Forest officials were trying to retrieve lands in the name of forest lands for quite a long time, affecting their livelihood. They reportedly prevented the attempts of the officials by threatening to die by suicide and to slit their throats when the officials tried to reclaim the lands citing the reserve forest.

Eleven Forest officials including a Sub-Inspector were injured in the incident, while vehicles of the Forest and police departments were damaged. Five of the injured were shifted to RIMS-Adilabad for better treatment. Their medical condition was learnt to be stable. Higher officials of both the Forest and police departments rushed to the spot of the clash and reviewed the situation.

Police sources said around 40 members of the community were detained. Cases were likely to be registered against the attackers soon. Forest officials convened a meeting to tackle the situation.

It is learnt that Forest officials planted the saplings in tracts of land reportedly occupied by the Multanis in an effort to retrieve the land, drawing the ire of the locals.