In a heinous incident, a 76-year-old farmer was attacked with sticks and chased away from his village by his sons and daughters-in-law in a remote village of the Tamballapalle Assembly constituency in Chittoor district on Sunday. The farmer with a bleeding head injury poured out his predicament to the police before falling unconscious. He was immediately shifted to Madanapalle hospital.
Vemanarayana is a resident of Rangasamudram village of Peda Tippa Samudram (PTM) mandal.
After his wife’s death, he was living with his three sons, all married and living in the same village, in turns. In recent years, he confined himself to the eldest son, due to alleged ill-treatment by the younger sons. Due to failing health, he consulted the village elders and wrote a will of his small property in favour of his minor grandson (son of the eldest son Venkata Ramana).
The decision enraged his younger sons Sankara and Chandra and their wives. The two families accosted Mr. Vemanarayana on Sunday when he was on the way to a shop.
They beat him up black and blue and one of them hit him with a stick on the head. Later, the two women reportedly kept pushing the old man and made him run away from the village.
When the villagers tried to intervene, the two sons warned them to keep away saying it was their family matter.
Later, some villagers brought back the elderly man to the village from the outskirts. Though in pain and crying profusely, Mr. Vemanarayana was reluctant to lodge a police complaint against his sons but had to relent following the advice of his well-wishers.
After reaching the police station at Pedda Tippa Samudram, Vemanarayana narrated his predicament to the police and fell unconscious.
Circle-Inspector (Mulakalacheruvu) Hrishikesava said a criminal case had been registered against the victim’s younger sons and their spouses. Investigation is on. The PTM police said Vemanarayana was out of danger.
