Telangana woman forest range officer who was attacked now faces SC/ST case

HYDERABAD: In an act of apparent retaliation, three tribals have complained to the police against Kagaznagar Forest Range Officer Anitha and 13 other forest officials, claiming that they abused them on the basis of their caste while they were sowing seeds near Sarasala village.

Based on the complaint, the police registered a case against the forest staff under the SC/ST Atrocities Act on Saturday.

The Deputy Superintendent of Police (Kagaznagar) Satyanarayana said the case was registered on a complaint from Saroja, a tribal woman from Sarsala village inKomram Bheem Asifabad district.

"They came to the fields where we were working. They were trying to plough our land, to which we objected. We (tribals) were abused and kicked with boots while fleeing out of fear from the fields. They used casteist remarks against us," the complainant said.

Anitha was not available for comments.

The woman forest officer was injured on June 30 when she was attacked by some people, allegedly led by the brother of a ruling TRS MLA, at the village over a land issue. She was hospitalised and later discharged.

As a video footage of the attack on her went viral, police arrested Koneru Krishna Rao, brother of Sirpur MLA Koneru Kannappa, and 13 others on attempt to murder and rioting charges among others.

Two senior police officials were also suspended for negligence in duty.

Anitha had gone to the village with some officials to plant saplings as part of the government's 'Haritha Haram' green initiative programme when she was attacked by some people, who claimed that the land belonged to them.

(With inputs from Express News Service)