KHAMMAM: Protesting against the high-handedness of forest officials who were stopping tribals from cultivating on podu lands, a tribal woman attempted suicide at Cherupalli in Sattupalli mandal here on Saturday. More than 100 tribal families have been cultivating podu lands in Cherupalli village for the last 10 years. Forest officials claimed that podu lands belonged to them and then registered cases against the obstructors. They were arrested and sent to jail.
After being released on bail, they started cultivation again. Forest officials reached the spot on Saturday and started clearing up the land with bulldozers. Tribals obstructed the forest officials and in the scuffle, a forest guard dragged out a tribal woman named Sunnam Nagamani.
Humiliated over the incident, Nagamani consumed two litres of kerosene and fell unconscious. Locals shifted her to Sattupalli government hospital and later shifted her to headquarters hospital in Khammam. Her condition is said to be stable.