Demolition of houses built on encroached government land at Yeduruvanipalem near Malkapuram led to tension with a woman being hospitalised and pelting of stones at an official car on Friday.
Officials accompanied by about 100 labourers deployed two earthmoving machines to demolish the houses in the konda poramboke land in the morning. Eight pucca houses and 20 basements were demolished. Some of the houses were constructed spending lakhs of rupees, it was learnt. The houses were built on 3.5 acres of land, it was learnt. When the demolition of her house was going on, a woman fainted and was admitted to hospital. MRO (Urban) Venugopal also fell from a hillock and suffered minor injuries. He was sent to KGH for treatment.
By the time the RDO, Muralikrishna, reached there rumours spread that the woman who was hospitalised died. This led to a tense situation with people and those who constructed the houses turning restive having lost their hard-earned money in the construction on the encroached land. The reported news of the death further enraged them. Even as the officials were about to leave after the rumoured death, the protesters lied down on the road obstructing the RDO’s vehicle, it was learnt.
However, the police led by Circle Inspector Vivekananda made the people contact the woman and her husband in the hospital leading to the protesters relenting after realising that it was only a rumour. However, the car of a revenue inspector parked in the vicinity was pelted with stones breaking its windows. Police, however, denied that the RDO’s car was attacked.