The brutal murder of Mandal Revenue Officer (MRO) by the name of Vijaya Reddy in Telangana’s Abdullahpurmet took the state by shock. The woman had two children – a 10-year-old daughter and a 5-year-old son, and she was the first Tehsildar of Abdullahpurmet after the office started to function around three years ago.
She is also a former government teacher and is reported to have resigned to do further studies and qualify as an MRO. She received an award for the best Mandal revenue officer in 2018.
What happened to Vijaya Reddy?
Land dispute is not a new issue in India. According to officials, there was a massive controversy over several acres of land between Gowrelli and Bacharam villages with as many as 30 families staking claim over it. The man who set Vijaya to fire, K Suresh and his brother too were linked with the dispute.
One of the Suresh’s family members, while speaking to a local channel said that there was a delay in processing their query for pattadhar passbooks and also the case had been pending for years.
“Though clearance had been given, the officials never transferred the lands to his (Suresh’s) name stating that there needs to be digital clearance,” the relative claimed.
However, local media reports added that Suresh was actually asking for land pattadar passbooks to be issued in his name, and was also citing that he already had his name on a 1/B document which details survey numbers owned by an individual in a particular area.
Speaking to the media, Suresh’s uncle, Durgaiah had denied that Suresh was involved in the land dispute and claimed that the dispute was being managed by village elders.
Durgaiah further added saying that while Suresh was totally aware of the dispute and even knew that it was being heard in the High Court (HC), however, he was not personally involved in the row. The family couldn’t believe as to what happened and had also expressed shock that K Suresh had taken such an extreme step.
Meanwhile, the state government has now sought a report from district revenue authorities about the incident and the alleged mediation over land.
State Minister K T Rama Rao took to Twitter to say, “I am shocked beyond words about the Abdullapurmet MRO Smt. Vijaya’s brutal murder. No matter what the unresolved issue was, this sort of inhuman attack is reprehensible and has no place in a democracy. My heartfelt condolences to the family of Smt. Vijaya Reddy Garu.”
“We shall bring the culprit to book and ensure that the severest punishment is awarded at the earliest. Justice will be rendered to the victim and her family members,” DGP Mahender Reddy said.
A case of murder has been registered against the wrongdoer, the police said they were investigating if anyone behind the scenes had manipulated Suresh to commit the murder.