After Telangana woman officer burnt to death, another puts ‘rope barricade’ in office

A revenue officer in Abdullapurpet of Telangana’s Ranga Reddy district on Monday was set ablaze in her chamber. After the incident, a tehsildar tied a rope across her room to maintain a safe distance from visitors coming to her office.

The killing of revenue official Ch Vijaya Reddy, who was set ablaze in her chamber in Abdullapurpet of Telangana’s Ranga Reddy district on Monday, has created panic among other revenue officers across the two Telugu states of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.

Following suggestions from fellow revenue officials in the district, Umamaheshwari later removed the rope. (ANI photo)

The incident has led to some officials taking precautionary measures to protect themselves against such attacks.

At a tehsil office in Pathikonda in Kurnool district of Andhra Pradesh, a tehsildar (block revenue official) K Umamaheshwari on Wednesday tied a rope across her room to maintain a safe distance from visitors coming to her office.

Earlier, the people would surround the official or sit in chairs in front of her and interact. However, with the rope in place as a barricade, now they are not being allowed to cross over and are expected to hand over their representations from within the limits.

“No visitors will be entertained between 1 pm and 2.30 pm”, reads a notice pasted on the door of the officer’s chamber.

Following suggestions from fellow revenue officials in the district, Umamaheshwari later removed the rope. However, people can not barge into her chamber anymore and the lunch-hour restrictions shall also continue, a revenue official said.

After the attack on Vijaya Reddy in Telangana, there were reports of officials being threatened by locals. In Kalwal village of Narva block in Telangana’s Narayanpet district, a farmer Boya Venkataiah locked up village secretary Lokesh Kumar in his room and threatened to kill him if a pipeline passing through his fields was not removed. Kumar was rescued by villagers.

At Gundala block revenue office in Telangana’s Yadadri Bhongir district, a woman farmer threatened the tehsildar, alleging that he had taken a bribe from her.

In Dookulapadu village of Andhra Pradesh’s Srikakulam district, farmer Allu Jagannadha Rao allegedly doused himself with petrol and tried to commit suicide. He even sprinkled some petrol on the village officials and threatened to kill them alleging that the village secretary denied him benefits of Rytu Bharosa (crop assistance scheme). The police foiled his attempt and took him into custody.

At Ramakuppam village of Chittoor district, a family of five attempted suicide by hanging themselves at the local tehsildar office on Wednesday. They alleged that the officials issued pattas to someone else for the land they had been cultivating for the past four decades.