KURNOOL: The village of Palakolanu has been in the grip of fear for the last five days.
A strange and unearthly sound in Venkatrami Reddy’s house in the village, situated four kilometres from Buggarameswara Swamy (Kalva Bugga) temple of Orvakal mandal, was followed by grotesque distortion of all plastic items. Not only that cracks appeared in the walls and the main door shattered like broken glass.
It all happened in a flash even before Venkatramireddy (46)-Nageswaramma (40) couple wake up to the reality. Nothing has happened to the couple. An old couple who were sleeping on the terrace of neighbouring house and witnessed the incident cried in panic following the sound and were yet to recover from the shock.
Afraid of entering the house, the villagers who gathered before the house spent the time discussing over the event till the day light prevailed. The incident which happened at 2:30 a.m in the small hours of Thursday still remains a mystery for the villagers and those visiting the place as they had no clue of what could have happened.
From SI, CI and tahsildar to RDO and District Collector who made a visit to the house are returning with puzzled faces.
Though forensic experts from Hyderabad--Dr Venkanna and Gopinath visited the place, they hinted that it might be a case of gas leak giving raise to a host of questions.
If there was a gas leak, its smell should have spread around and the cylinder should have been displace if not blasted. But the cylinder is intact with gas. Nobody operated switches when the incident took place.
It was not even a case of short circuit as other electrical implements like fridge, TV and fans were intact. Power supply was not disrupted either as lights were on fan was working. Interestingly, though plastic articles were burnt, electric wires remained intact.
The village has no background of faction feuds to attribute it to bomb blasts.
The strange sound is still hunting the villagers. If some term it as `Devudi leela’ (divine deed) while some others attribute it to witchcraft.
Whether it is a case of gas leak, asteroids or a handiwork of aliens? Intellectuals warn that if the mystery was left unresolved, superstitions will rule the village creating new problems.
Indiramma house for couple
District Collector Mukesh Kumar Meena who made a visit to the place attributed it to nature’s fury as it was a case of neither bomb blast nor gas leakage.
He said it would be investigated by forensic experts. The Collector said the victim’s family would be sanctioned an ex gratia of Rs 25,000 to effect repairs to the house. “We will also sanction a house to the family under Indiramma housing,’’ he said.