Police in Telangana’s Vikarabad district on November 12 arrested 55 people in connection with an attack on district officials during a public hearing for the proposed Pharma Village project—a cluster of pharmaceutical companies—that resident farmers are strongly opposed to. A person identified as B Suresh Raj, reportedly a youth wing leader from Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) is considered a suspect, police have said. Inspector General of Police (Multi Zone II) V Satyanarayana has said that the attack on officials was pre-planned.
Police have also registered three cases in connection with the incident and have formed special teams to apprehend those involved.
Vikarabad District Collector Prateek Jain, Additional Collector G Lingya Naik, and Kodangal Area Development Authority (KADA) Chairman Venkat Reddy were attacked in Lagacharla village of Dudyala mandal on November 11 while attempting to meet local representatives.
It may be noted that Kodangal is Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy’s constituency.
Meanwhile, police have suspended internet services in Dudyala, Kodangal and Bomraspet mandals. There is heavy deployment of police force in Lagacharla village in particular. Police officials told IANS that the attack was ‘pre-planned’.
Prateek Jain, Venkat Reddy and Lingya Naik were attacked on November 11 with sticks, stones and even fists, TOI reports. The three of them, along with Vikarabad DSP Srinivas Reddy, sustained injuries. Lingya was admitted to a hospital in Hyderabad.
According to the IGP, Suresh Raj lured the officers away claiming that the farmers would talk to them if they accompanied him to a spot 2 kilometers away.
Suresh had people lying in wait to attack the officers. Around 100 to 110 people participated in the attack, police have further said.
“We will take stringent action against those who indulged in the attack and those who instigated them,” the IGP has said.
Government employees in Vikarabad district went on strike on November 12 in protest against the attack on the officials. In the rest of the state, many government employees were seen wearing black badges.