Lady forest official, on drive to plant trees, assaulted with sticks

It has been alleged that local TRS leader Koneru Krishna led locals and assaulted forest and police officials.

Visual courtesy ANI.

A lady forest official was brutally assaulted with sticks by locals in Kotha Sarsala Village in Telnagana's Adilabad district on Saturday when she and a team of other forest and police officials had gone there as part of an afforestation drive.

The forest official, identified as Anitha, was targeted by locals who were allegedly led by local Telangana Rashtriya Samiti leader Koneru Krishna. In a video of the incident, Anitha is seen trying to calm the locals and from top of a tractor but is met with repeated blows from sticks. Her fellow forest and police officials too were assaulted. The injured were quickly rescued and taken to a local hospital for treatment. "We were on official duty when Koneru Krishna came with locals and began hitting us with sticks. I got on a tractor to calm them but I was also beaten," Anitha later said.

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#WATCH Telangana: A police team & forest guards were attacked allegedly by Telangana Rashtra Samithi workers in Sirpur Kagaznagar block of Komaram Bheem Asifabad district, during a tree plantation drive. (29.06.2019) pic.twitter.com/pZ0H3Qg2Ud

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While it not clear why the forest and police officials were beaten, an investigation has already been launched with the local administration assuring speedy justice and punishment for the guilty.