A 3,000-year-old megalithic protected burial site at Hasmathpet might become extinct, with many influential persons allegedly trying to grab the land.
The 28.28 acre land has been a gazetted property of the Archeology department since 1953.
Many tribes of the Iron Age, believed to be migrants from West Asia, were reportedly found buried in this location. Excavation of the pre-historic site was carried out in pre- Independence days by European scholars.
It then came to be known that a dead body used to be kept in a cist along with objects used by the deceased during his lifetime.
Each cist was covered by rocks to signify the place of burial.
Officials of Archeology and Museums said these West Asian tribes were the first to introduce Iron technology and introduced the horse in South Asia.
For the last few months, few locals with influence of politicians have been trying to grab the land. On Sunday, somebody tried to level the land with bulldozers and JCM machines. However, revenue officials of Rangareddy district and from Archaeology and Museums rushed to the spot to save the site.
"For the last few years there has been a stay order issued by the High Court to not take up any construction work in the area. But on different instances, various persons have attempted to take up construction work,'' Archeology and Museums director P Chenna Reddy told Expresso.
The burial site exists in survey no 1 of the Balanagar Mandal revenue office. It is learnt that though the matter was brought to notice of Alwal police, no action was initiated.
On other occasions, revenue officials had to evict slum dwellers who were living in thatched houses. Security personnel arranged to guard the land from encroachers has given no result.
srinath@expressbuzz.com