KHAMMAM: Even as the whole country is trying to defeat the Covid-19, a group of Telangana government officials in Madhira town of Khammam district decided to make merry and have a party together, paying no heed to lockdown restrictions. After receiving a tip-off, police rushed to the spot and caught one of the officials red-handed.
They also registered cases against him and three other officials under sections 188 and 269 of the IPC, which respectively deal with disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant and negligent act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life, as well as under Epidemic Diseases Act.
According to Madhira Sub Inspector V Uday Kumar, a team of government officers, including Extension Officer Rural Development (EORD) Raja Rao, government doctor Srinivas and Sub-Jailer Prabhakar Reddy and Mandal Tahasildhar Saidulu organised the party at Madhira revenue guest house on Monday night.
When police raided the guest house, they found the four officers consuming liquor in one room. While three officials managed to flee, Srinivas, employed at the PHC in Maturipet, was caught as he tried to hide under a bed. Police seized a car and two bikes.
It is learnt that some local excise official supplied liquor to the officers. Collector RV Karnan said show-cause notices were issued to the officials concerned and FIR filed. Khammam RDO Ravindranath was appointed as inquiry officer.