HYDERABAD: In a freak mishap, one of the displaced residents of the Mallanna Sagar Project died at Erravalli village late on Saturday night after an electric pole fell on him. The incident took place when government officials were busy demolishing the houses of the oustees of the project to conduct a trial run for releasing water. The deceased, identified as Are Kanakaraju, 28, was accompanying his relative Raju when his house was going under the bulldozer.
The relatives of the deceased have alleged that officials went ahead with the demolition even after being informed that Kanakaraju was present inside the house. Denying the allegations, Siddipet police commissioner Joel Davis said that the incident was unfortunate. "The works were taken after taking consent from residents and prior information. A case is being registered and will be investigated thoroughly looking into all aspects,” Joel Davis told The New Indian Express.
Kanakaraju's family also lost their land to the project and they had already received compensation.
As the trial run for releasing the project was scheduled on Sunday, officials had taken up preparations for the same. After all the oustees vacated villages, only a few of them are held back in Erravalli village in Kondapaka mandal in Siddipet district due to compensation and beneficiary issues.
After persuasion, they also agreed to vacate their homes.
After taking their consent, officials started the work. Raju was one of them and his relative Kanakaraju had come to the village to help him in vacating the house.
While the process was going on, Kanakaraju had gone into the house to pick up some remaining things when the electric pole fell on him. He was rushed to a corporate hospital in the city, where he died while undergoing treatment in the early hours of Sunday.
The police have intensified the security in the village.