HYDERABAD: A 52-year-old man, Palaboina Mutthaiah, was arrested by Khammam police in Chaitanyapuri on Tuesday evening. According to Malkajgiri police, he was taken into custody in connection with the Velugumatla demolition case in Khammam district, where protests have continued for the past 10 days. Further investigation is under way.
Houses razed despite court orders: Residents
Meanwhile, residents of Velugumatla village alleged that their houses were demolished despite court orders protecting them from eviction.
Speaking to media at the Press Club in Somajiguda, the victims said nearly 1,000 houses in Navodaya Colony and Vinobanagar were demolished by district authorities in the last week of February. They said the land had been allotted to them by the Bhoodan Yagna Board over 10 years ago.
Salomi, who lost her house, alleged that officials ignored several High Court orders, including status quo directions, and carried out the demolition with heavy police deployment. She also criticised local ministers for not visiting the affected families. The residents demanded compensation and action against officials responsible for the demolition.
Advocate Suguna Rao said the Bhoodan Yagna Board allotted the land to poor families in April 2014. She added that the High Court issued a ‘not to evict’ order in 2017 and later directed police and revenue officials not to enter the houses in 2019. Despite these orders, the houses were demolished, she alleged.