ADILABAD: A group of people, reportedly realtors, prevented a Dalit family from cremating a relative over an alleged land dispute in Mandamarri mandal of Mancherial district. The incident reportedly took place on Tuesday but came to light on Thursday.
Learning of the matter, the Mandamarri tahsildar and circle inspector went to the spot and ensured that the last rites were performed smoothly.
According to locals, members of a Nethakani family, residents of Burdagudem village, brought the body of a relative for cremation. They claimed that one Kalvakuntala Madhav Rao had donated the land to the Dalit community around 80 years ago to establish a crematorium. However, N Upender Goud and Venkatesh Goud, along with their associates, claimed that they had bought the land and obstructed Durgam Shankar and his son Srinivas from performing the cremation. Later, police and revenue officials intervened and oversaw the cremation.
Speaking to the media, the Scheduled Castes (SC) community members said the realtors, members of the Backward Classes (BC), were destroying the land on which they had cremated their forefathers and building plots.
Pointing out that Mandamarri fall under the Agency area jurisdiction, they said the Land Transfer Regulation Act 1 of 1970, also known as the LTR 1/70, prevents any non-tribals from holding land in the region. “Any land assigned to a non-tribal in the Agency area is null and void,” they said, urging the authorities to see that they get the crematorium land back.