2 cops suspended, 14 people held after forest officials beaten up in T’gana

Asifabad: Two police officers were suspended and 14 people were arrested for allegedly attacking a team of forest officials in Sirpur-Kagaznagar area of Asifabad here on Sunday.

The forest officials were allegedly attacked by the ruling Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) supporters led by Zilla Parishad Vice Chairman Konaru Krishna when they went to plant saplings at a plot allotted for forest development.

"Fourteen have been arrested and two police officers have been suspended for their inaction in the incident of an attack on forest officials," police said.

Giving details of the incident, Inspector General of Police Nagi Reddy said: "A gang of around 30 people led by Krishna attacked forest officials who had gone to Sarasala village in Khagaznagar to plant saplings on land allotted for forest development near Kaleshwaram project."

A forest officer, Chole Anita, sustained serious injuries in the attack and was rushed to a hospital for treatment.

The main accused Krishna, who is the brother of TRS legislator K Konnappa, resigned from the post after the incident.

Earlier in the day, Krishna had said, "The forest department is terrorising Adivasi farmers and confiscating their land forcefully. I was there to resolve the issue and to ensure justice for tribals as forest officials were destroying their crops in the name of afforestation. I tried to pacify department authorities but in vain. The attack was accidental, not intentional."

A case under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) was registered and two police officials -- Khagaznagar DSP P Sambaiah and Khagaznagar Rural Police Station Circle Inspector Venkatesham -- were suspended for their alleged inaction.