MEDAK : Patur man takes own life after forest case
MEDAK : A 55-year-old man died by suicide in Patur village of Medak mandal after forest officials registered a case against him for allegedly hunting wildlife, villagers and family members said.
Bassa Pochayya and his wife Shyamala have two sons. The family was preparing for the seemantham ceremony of their younger daughter-in-law, scheduled for Monday, when the incident occurred.
Pochayya had gone to the forest area on the outskirts of the village on Friday to collect firewood. During the visit, he found a monitor lizard.
Father and son detained over wildlife allegation
After forest officials learnt about the incident, beat officer Arjun detained Pochayya and took him to the forest range office. Later that evening, his younger son Raghupathi was also detained on suspicion of hunting wildlife.
Both were released on Saturday.
Pochayya, who was reportedly distressed over the action against him, allegedly died by suicide by hanging himself in a shed in front of his house around midnight on Sunday. His family members found him early on Monday.
Villagers alleged that forest officials had assaulted Pochayya and that he was distressed by the incident, leading to his death. Police registered a case following the incident.
However, local station house officer Ganesh said the allegation that forest staff harassed or assaulted Pochayya was only an allegation and would have to be established through an inquiry.
