2019 Telangana forest attack: TRS leader among eight convicted
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Hyderabad ,July17: The Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS), now known as the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS), was founded in 2001 by K. Chandrashekar Rao with the objective of achieving separate statehood for Telangana. At the time of the incident, Koneru Krishnarao was a local TRS leader and Vice Chairman of the Zila Parishad. Following the attack, he was arrested on charges including attempted murder and obstructing public servants, before later resigning from his post.
Seven years after a violent assault on Forest Department officials in Telangana's Adilabad district shocked the state, a Special SC/ST Court has convicted eight people, including former Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) leader Koneru Krishnarao, in connection with the 2019 attack. The court sentenced the convicts to six months' simple imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs 8,500 each, while acquitting 29 others due to insufficient evidence.
The incident took place on June 30, 2019, when then Forest Range Officer Chole Anita and her team visited Sarsala village near the Kawal Tiger Reserve to undertake plantation work and prevent encroachment on government forest land. According to the prosecution, the officials were attacked by a mob armed with sticks, leaving Anita and several forest personnel seriously injured while they were performing official duties.
Police registered cases against 39 accused under charges of rioting, unlawful assembly, criminal trespass, voluntarily causing hurt to deter public servants from duty, attempt to murder, and relevant provisions of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. The investigation was led by then Kagaznagar Sub-Divisional Police Officer A. Satyanarayana, who filed the chargesheet in 2020.
The assault had triggered widespread outrage across Telangana after videos of the attack went viral. Senior TRS leader K.T. Rama Rao had publicly condemned the incident, calling the attack on government officials unacceptable. However, the controversy deepened months later when Krishnarao was reinstated as Vice Chairman of the local Zila Parishad, while Forest Range Officer Anita and several other forest officials involved in the anti-encroachment drive were transferred. The officers had alleged political pressure and claimed they received little institutional support despite facing threats.