metro india news  I hyderabad

In a chilling case that has rocked Mahabubnagar district, a woman and her sons have accused a notorious land mafia group of kidnapping them, subjecting them to brutal torture, and coercing them into registering valuable land under duress.

Paladhi Kalavathi, along with her sons Srinivasulu and Rambabu, approached Metro India and submitted a formal complaint to its chairman C.L. Rajam, alleging that they were abducted and terrorised into transferring ownership of 3.05 acres of land to a man named Chaluvagali Raghavendra Raju.

According to Kalavathi, the ordeal began after her husband Paladi Chandramouleswar passed away in 2022, leaving behind 7.30 acres of land in Survey No. 272 of Palakonda village under Mahabubnagar Urban Mandal. Part of this land was already plotted and partially sold. After her husband’s death, Kalavathi transferred the remaining land to her name.

Subsequently, three individuals—Sambashivalingam, Suresh, and Pavan Kumar Goud—approached her family offering to purchase 51 plots for Rs 1.5 crore. They paid Rs 30 lakh upfront and allegedly recorded videos and photos of the family without their knowledge. The contract, to her surprise, included the name of Chaluvagali Raghavendra Raju, whom the family had never met or interacted with.

"Despite our objections, they forcibly included his name in the agreement," Kalavathi said. "Raghavendra Raju never came for the registration either but later emerged, demanding the remaining land be registered in his name free of cost."

Kalavathi alleged that Raghavendra Raju began intimidating them, claiming he had political influence up to the Chief Minister’s level. “He boasted about controlling local leaders, including a former minister, and threatened to kill us if we didn’t comply,” she said. The family was placed under constant surveillance by goons and harassed daily, she added.

She said that despite filing complaints with the Mahabubnagar SP and local police officials over a year ago, no action was taken. Instead, the threats escalated. On August 4, while returning from signing bail attendance at Mahabubnagar Rural Police Station (as mandated by the High Court), Kalavathi and her sons were ambushed near Mayuri Park. A group of over 30 men led by Raghavendra Raju allegedly blocked their car and assaulted them in broad daylight.

“They dragged us into their vehicle and took us to his farmhouse in Tatikonda. For three hours, they tortured us. They put knives to my sons’ throats and threatened to kill them if I didn’t register the land,” Kalavathi recounted. She said she was forcibly taken to the Mahbubnagar Urban Tahsildar office and coerced into registering 3.05 acres of land in Raju’s name.

“They warned me not to tell anyone or they would kill us. After torturing us till 8 p.m., they let us go,” she said. The terrified family fled to Hyderabad and approached Saroor Nagar Police Station, but their complaint was not accepted. They then dialled 100 to file an emergency report.

Kalavathi has now submitted a formal complaint to the Director General of Police (DGP), seeking immediate protection and restoration of her property. She alleged that Raghavendra Raju has filed six false cases against them and is misusing his political connections to harass them and influence police officials.

Land disputes fuel public anger in Palamuru

The shocking details of Kalavathi’s complaint have sparked outrage across Mahabubnagar (Palamuru), where similar land disputes are increasingly surfacing. Victims allege that land mafias, in collusion with local political figures and police, are forcibly grabbing prime land from rightful owners without facing legal consequences.

In another recent case, a man named Itukabatti Ravindar Reddy also accused land grabbers of forcibly taking his property and reportedly approached both the DGP and the High Court. With more land-related cases reaching the courts and high-level police officials, the Palamuru region’s land disputes are now becoming a state-wide issue, raising serious questions about property rights protection and the role of law enforcement in preventing such crimes.