SRIKAKULAM: The sleepy village of Shalantri in Sarubujjili mandal woke up to the shattering news of the death of a youth who had been an inspiration for several youngsters in the village. T Eeswara Rao alias Eeswaraiah, who went on to become a police constable despite all odds, was stabbed by a gang of counterfeit currency suppliers in Rangareddy district of Telangana state Saturday.
Eeswara Rao was the youngest of the three children of Malleswara Rao and Thavitamma in Shalantri village. While the entire family members were farm labourers, they ensured that Eeswara Rao completed his schooling. Though fate forced him to start labour work, he did not give up and completed his graduation.
“He used to give private tuitions to local kids to earn money for completing his studies.
He has been an inspiration to many youth in the village who were born in poor families and were forced to give up studies to support their families,” said Shankar, a friend of Eeswara Rao. According to the villagers, Eeswara Rao got selected as an Armed Reserve constable in 2011 from Srikakulam before being deputed to the Task Force police at Hyderabad. His brother Ramana Murthy is working in a factory at Hyderabad, while his sister Hemavati is married.
“He was the only government employee from our family with a stable income. He made us very proud, but is lost to us now when we need him the most,” his grief-stricken father Malleswara Rao told reporters.
Even as the village turned gloomy at the news of the policeman’s untimely and sudden death, a majority of the villagers were seen pouring in at his residence and waiting for his body from Hyderabad. The Telangana government had flown in the body along with his brother Ramana Murthy and other family members to Visakhapatnam. The body was taken to his village late Saturday night. The family members said that Eeswara Rao’s final rites will be conducted on Sunday.
Ramana Murthy said that the police officers initially said that Eeswara Rao was injured in the police operation. He was informed of his son’s death after he reached the hospital.