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A police officer in Telangana was suspended after a video of him manhandling an elderly farmer was widely shared on social media on June 4, Wednesday. The incident occurred at a Bhu Bharati revenue meeting being held at the mandal level across the state to resolve land disputes.
Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) Ramachandar was seen dragging the farmer, Allepu Venkat, by the arm and pushing him out forcefully in Khanapur mandal of Nirmal district.
Venkat, a farmer from Patha Yellapur village, had turned up at the revenue meeting with a grievance.
Nirmal district Superintendent of Police Janaki Sharmila said that the farmer got into an argument with the tahsildar and other revenue officials, after which the tahsildar asked the police to send him out. The ASI was seen manhandling Venkat when doing so.
“The police department does not condone such behaviour. District in-charge Minister Seethakka has sought an inquiry, and authorities have asked to take disciplinary action against the ASI. We conducted an inquiry and submitted a report to the Basara Range Deputy Inspector General (DIG) who suspended the ASI,” she said.
The incident sparked criticism from the opposition.
"Anti-farmer party thy name is Congress,” said Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) leader and former IPS officer RS Praveen Kumar.
Bhu Bharati is the Congress government’s digital land records management system brought in to replace the previous BRS government’s Dharani portal, for the registration of agricultural and non-agricultural properties.
The Telangana Bhu Bharati (Record of Rights in Land) Act, 2024, was passed in December 2024, and implemented on April 14. Bhu Bharati revenue meetings were announced in all mandals starting from June 2, to resolve land disputes. The meetings are part of a statewide rollout of the new system that was previously launched on a pilot basis in four mandals.
