Hyderabad, Aug 3 (IANS): A court in Telangana’s Bhadradri Kothagudem district has sentenced two tribals to life imprisonment in connection with the murder of a Forest Range Officer.

The court sentenced Madakam Tula (43) and Podium Nanga (37) belonging to Guttikoya tribal community.

Both are residents of Yerrabodu village in Chandrugonda mandal of the district.

The court also imposed a fine of Rs 1,000 on each.

They had hacked to death Forest Range Officer (FRO) Srinivas Rao (43) on November 22, 2022.

The cultivators belonging to the Guttikoya tribe attacked him with sharp-edged weapons near Yerrabodu in Bendalapadu forest area.

The cultivators attacked the forest officer when he questioned them for removing saplings planted by the forest department.

There was a heated argument between the two sides. As the tension mounted, the cultivators attacked Srinivas Rao with sickles, knives and other sharp-edged weapons.

Bendalapadu section officer Rama Rao escaped to save his life.

The killing came amid growing clashes between forest officials and tribals who claim rights over podu lands or the forest lands under cultivation by tribals and other forest-dwellers.

Plantation by forest officials on podu lands and the destruction of the same by cultivators led to law and order problems in some tribal areas of the state