Two forest officers were injured in yet another attack on forest department personnel in Telangana early on Tuesday, police said.
The incident occurred near Gundalapadu in Bhadradri Kothagudem district when the forest officials tried to stop a group of villagers from illegally cultivating forest land.
Forest Section Officer Neelamaiah and Beat Officer Bhaskar Rao were thrashed with sticks by the group of people who were tilling the forest land with tractors.
The forest officials suffered multiple injuries and were admitted to Paloncha Hospital. They lodged a complaint with the police, which registered a case against unidentified persons and took up investigations.
The incident came close on the heel of a brutal attack on a woman forest officer by a leader of ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) and his followers in Komaram Bheem Asifabad district.
Forest Range Officer Chole Anitha suffered bleeding when she was attacked with sticks by TRS MLA Koneru Konappa’s brother Krishna Rao and his followers in Sarsala village on Sunday.
The incident occurred when a group of farmers tried to stop forest officials from taking up plantation on forest land.
Rao resigned as zilla parishad vice-chairman after the incident and 16 others were arrested and sent to judicial custody.
In another incident in Kothagudem district, police on Monday booked a case against MLA V. Venkateswara Rao and his son on a complaint by forest officials for allegedly obstructing their work.
The MLA, his son and their supporters allegedly tried to stop the forest officials from construction of a wall to protect forest land in Laxmidevipalli mandal (block).
