Mahabubabad: Couple attempts suicide for land rights

Mahabubabad: Accusing the officials of supporting a land grabber, a farmer couple attempted suicide by setting themselves on fire in front of the Tahasildar office at Bayyaram on Thursday.

Islawath Vasantha Rao of Ramchandrapuram village under Bayyaram mandal who along with his wife Devi staged a protest alleged that the Tahasildar had failed to take action against land grabbers. The couple raised slogans against the revenue official and then tried to set themselves on fire by pouring petrol on themselves.

The Bayyaram police led by sub inspector K Jagadeesh took the couple into custody and counselled them. "A person encroached our 6 acres under survey number 60/30 which we have been cultivating for many years. I met the revenue officials several times and urged them to cancel the passbook of the land grabber. I urged the officials to update the Dharani land records," Vasantha Rao said.

Due to financial problems, Vasantha Rao along with his family members migrated to Adilabad district to make living working as daily wage labourers. He returned to village after the spread of Covid-19 pandemic. He was shocked to know that his six acres was encroached by a land grabber. He alleged that the revenue authorities did not respond to his plea though he had produced evidence that the land belongs to him.

When contacted, N Naga Bhavani , Bayyaram Tahasildar, said that they have found that Vasanth Rao family sold the land before migrating to Adilabad some 40 years ago. After a joint survey by the revenue and forest officials, it was found that the land belonged to the forest department.