Hyderabad, July 9 (IANS): Government employees in Andhra Pradesh on Thursday launched protests demanding the arrest of a Telugu Desam Party (TDP) legislator and his aides for allegedly manhandling a woman officer in Krishna district.

Revenue employees in the district took to the streets, seeking immediate action against assembly member Chinthamaneni Prabhakar and his aides for attacking the officer when she was trying to stop illegal sand mining.

Police began investigations on a complaint by D. Vanajakshi, tehsildar of Musunuru mandal in Krishna district.

The officer broke down before the media while narrating the incident which occurred on Wednesday on the border between Krishna and West Godavari districts.

The followers of Prabhakar, a legislator from Dendulur in West Godavari district, allegedly bodily lifted Vanjakshi when she lay down before a tractor to stop it from illegally transporting the sand.

The officer said the legislator was present near the spot and it was on his orders that his followers including both men and women bodily lifted the woman officer.

Nuzvidu Deputy Superintendent of Police S. Venkata Ramna on Thursday began investigations into the incident. He visited the area and gathered information.

Revenue officials staged a sit-in in front of the office of the Krishna district collector in Vijayawada.

Collector Ahmed Nadeem Babu said action would be taken in accordance with the law.

Employees of other departments also expressed solidarity with Vanajakshi.

They threatened to intensify the protests from Friday if no action was taken against the guilty.

The state human rights commission has taken suo motu note of the incident. It issued notice to the chief secretary, Krishna district collector and police superintendent.

The officials were directed to submit reports on the incident by August 13.

Meanwhile, Deputy Chief Minister K.E. Krishna Murthy strongly condemned the incident, and made it clear that attacks on officials discharging their duties will not be tolerated.