Suicide bid at KT Rama Rao's rally in Sircilla

RAJANNA SIRCILLA: Two victims of the Nerella incident attempted suicide by dousing themselves with kerosene and setting themselves on fire at caretaker minister K.T. Rama Rao’s meeting in Thangellapalli near in Sircilla on Friday.

The Nerella incident refers to alleged torture of Dalits for protesting illegal sand mining. The protesters had said that the sand mafia’s lorries had run over locals.

On Friday, Barthu Banaiah and Kola Harish attempted suicide alleging that the state government had not done justice to them even after two years. They said the police had tortured them for raising their voice against the sand mafia.

The police that was present at the site stopped them and took them to the police station. Of the six Nerella victims, four others have joined the TRS and are campaigning for Mr Rama Rao. Earlier, all six of them had launched a relay hunger strike at Nerella demanding justice.