Anantapur: Veteran attempts suicide over land

Anantapur: Peeved by the highhandedness of police in support of a local politician over a land issue, an ex-serviceman tried to commit suicide by consuming pesticide on Thursday.

According to sources, the veteran was protesting against a local Telugu Desam leader and Rayachoti municipal chairperson’s husband Babavali for grabbing a government land, which abuts his land. The politician had allegedly got a patta made in his favour over the government land.

Intervening on behalf of the politician, the police in plain clothes had reportedly manhandled the ex-serviceman and made him withdraw his protest.

Upset with the police’s siding with the politician, the ex-serviceman attempted suicide by consuming pesticide. He was immediately shifted to the government hospital at Kadiri. In his suicide note, the ex-serviceman complained about the TD leader grabbing the government land and the police supporting him.

Kadiri circle inspector Gorantla Madhav, however, ruled out the involvement of the police. He said the ex-serviceman had no claim to the land and Mr Babavali had submitted all the necessary documents to prove his ownership.