Telangana CM Initiates Investigation After Farmer is Hospitalized in Handcuffs
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Hyderabad, Dec 12 (NationPress) The Chief Minister of Telangana, A. Revanth Reddy, has ordered an investigation into the incident involving a farmer who was handcuffed while being transported to a hospital after his arrest last month for allegedly attacking officials during a public hearing on land acquisition in Lagacharla village, located in Vikarabad district.
Revanth Reddy expressed serious concern regarding the treatment of farmer Heerya Naik, who was taken to the hospital from Sangareddy Jail under judicial custody.
According to a statement from the Chief Minister’s Office, Revanth Reddy sought clarification from officials about the situation, voicing his outrage over the necessity of handcuffing the farmer.
He directed senior officials to carry out a thorough inquiry and provide a detailed report, emphasizing that the “people's government” would not condone such actions.
The farmer reported experiencing chest pain, prompting his transfer to Gandhi Hospital in Hyderabad.
The superintendent of Sangareddy Hospital noted that while the farmer's condition was stable, his prior history of chest pain warranted the transfer.
Meanwhile, the working president of the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) condemned the act of handcuffing the farmer, labeling it “heartless, insensitive, and shameful” behavior from the Telangana government. He stated, “You handcuff a farmer who's suffered a stroke. The farmers of Lagacharla have been imprisoned for over a month simply because they refused to comply with the Revanth government’s demands to relinquish their agricultural land.”
At a subsequent press conference, the BRS leader criticized the government for its treatment of Heerya Naik, asserting that handcuffing a farmer who has suffered a medical emergency reveals a “brutal mentality” from the Chief Minister.
KTR also accused the government of neglecting to provide adequate medical support for the farmer, claiming that the family was not informed of the situation and that efforts were made to downplay the incident.
The former minister alleged that pressure from the BRS led the government to arrange for the farmers' transfer to Hyderabad.
KTR mentioned that two other inmates were also facing significant health concerns, including BRS leader Patnam Narender Reddy, who was arrested in the same case and was reportedly unwell.
The violence at Lagacharla village occurred during a public hearing on November 11, when Vikarabad District Collector and several officials were attacked.
This incident, within Chief Minister Revanth Reddy's Assembly constituency of Kodangal, has sparked a political conflict between the ruling Congress party and the main opposition, BRS, with the former blaming BRS leaders for instigating the violence.
Authorities arrested multiple villagers, including farmers, as well as BRS leader and former MLA Narender Reddy, who was accused of inciting the villagers.
