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Swarajya Staff
Jun 30, 2019, 06:21 PM | Updated 06:21 PM IST
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A lady forest range officer was injured after being brutally attacked by a large mob in Telangana on Sunday (30 June), while discharging her duties.
The mob was led by Koneru Krishna, a Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) party leader who also happens to be the brother of an incumbent MLA, Koneru Konappa, reports The News Minute.
The incident took place while the Forest Department was embarking on an afforestation drive, part of the Kaleshwaram Irrigation Project, in Kagaznagar area of Asifabad district.
In the video around 30-40 goons, armed with sticks, can be seen attacking the vehicles, as a helpless officer, identified as Anitha, was trying her best to pacify them.
A Forest Range Officer in Telangana was ruthlessly attacked by a mob as officials were attempting to take up an afforestation programme in Kaghaznagar. Officials said that the mob was led by Koneru Krishna, brother of TRS MLA Koneru Konappa @thenewsminute pic.twitter.com/SIcFCwdQsm
— Nitin Bhaskaran (@NitinBGoode) June 30, 2019
The mob though showed no signs of stopping and continued its assault to grievously hurt the lady officer in the process. The police later took control of the situation.
The Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) of Kaghaznagar, in a press note, said that around 20 hectares of degraded forest land had been selected for compensatory afforestation plantation in the Reserve Forest Blocks of Kadamba under Kaghaznagar range.
As the officials reached the spot to execute the plan, they were attacked by the mob.
Koneru Krishna, Vice Chairman of the Zilla Parishad and the locals carried out the attacks with a ‘malafide intention’ to occupy the Reserve Forest land, said the DFO.
Coming down heavily on the ruling TRS party, the BJP and Congress urged the Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao to initiate action against the accused in the case.
Meanwhile, the Forest Department has sought the permission of the Collector and Superintendent of Police of Asifabad district to heighten the security measures to continue with the afforestation work.