Two forest officials injured in attack by locals in Nalgonda

They tied officials to the JCB with a rope and roughed them up for half an hour.

Nalgonda: Two Forest Department officials were injured in an alleged attack by a group of 20 persons when they went to stop illegal digging of a canal using a JCB in forest land at Gandhi Nagar of Wadapally mandal in Nalgonda district on Tuesday. Forest Beat Officer Ravi and Striking Officer Pavan were injured in the incident.

The forest officials rushed to Gandhi Nagar when they came to know about a group of persons digging a canal and asked them to stop the work. Angered by this, the locals picked up an argument with them saying that they were displaced persons of Nagarjuna Sagar Project and ‘podu’ cultivation was the only livelihood for them. They tied Ravi and Pavan to the JCB with a rope and roughed them up for half an hour.

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On getting information, Forest Range Officer of Miryalaguda rushed to the spot and tried to pacify the angry locals. But, they locked the three officials in the gram panchayat office. A while later, a large posse of policemen from Wadapally, Damaracherla and Miryalaguda rural police stations rushed to the village and brought the situation under control. They also shifted the forest officials to Miryalaguda in a police vehicle. Ravi and Pavan sustained injuries on their hands and legs. Ravi was admitted to the area hospital for treatment.

Miryalaguda Rural Circle Inspector Ramesh said all the 20 persons involved in the incident were identified by the police. The JCB was seized and shifted to the police station. A case was filed and investigation was on based on the complaint lodged by officials.

Pavan told the police that they were attacked with sticks by the locals, some of whom were women too.

 

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