Hyderabad : “Haven’t you consumed pesticide yet? Are you still alive? Gajwel tahsildar PH Swamy allegedly asked a farmer who approached his office over a land dispute, triggering widespread criticism after a video of their exchange went viral on social media.
Swamy said he subsequently lodged a complaint with the police, who counselled him at the police station and let him go. Siddipet district revenue officer D Nagarajamma told TOI that she was unaware of the incident. The video shows the farmer, Yesu, expressing distress over his situation and questioning the tahsildar’s response. When the farmer allegedly asked whether Swamy found his plight amusing, the official reportedly replied, “Yes, I do. Of course, I do. The remarks drew criticism online, with users demanding that senior revenue officials examine the incident. The tahsildar alleged that on one occasion, Yesu came to his office in an inebriated condition and created a disturbance. As of Saturday, no inquiry had been ordered into the matter.
Explaining the circumstances in which he made the remarks, Swamy said around 15 people were present in his chamber at the time and that the farmer had repeatedly spoken about ending his life by consuming pesticide. He added that the family subsequently resolved its land dispute, following which the land was acquired and compensation was credited to the family members’ accounts.
Because of a family dispute over the partition of the land and that he had explained the issue to the farmer several times, the tahsildar said the acquisition had been delayed.
Swamy, however, told TOI that the video was old and that the exchange followed repeated visits by Yesu, a farmer from Maktha Masanpally village in Gajwel mandal of Siddipet district. Yesu had reportedly been seeking compensation for land being acquired for the Regional Ring Road (RRR).