Forest Beat Officer arrested for ‘extorting’ money from farmers in Adilabad district - The HinduPublished - July 01, 2026 08:04 pm ISTADILABADA Forest Beat Officer (FBO) was arrested by the Talamadugu police in Adilabad district on Wednesday for allegedly extorting money from four farmers by threatening to register criminal cases against them.According to the police, the accused, identified as Krishna, was arrested based on a complaint lodged by the four farmers from Kajjarla village.The farmers reportedly burnt crop residue in their agricultural fields a few days ago, following which the fire accidentally spread and damaged the Forest Department’s avenue plantation along the Kajjarla-Devapur road to some extent, sources said.Taking advantage of the incident, the FBO allegedly threatened to register criminal cases against the farmers and demanded ₹1.50 lakh from them. Intimidated by the threat, the farmers reportedly paid him ₹50,000.Acting on the complaint, the Talamadugu police registered a case against the FBO, conducted an inquiry and arrested him. The accused was produced before a local court, police said.Further investigation is on.Published - July 01, 2026 08:04 pm ISTSign in to unlock member-only benefits!Access 10 free stories every monthSave stories to read laterAccess to comment on every storySign-up/manage your newsletter subscriptions with a single clickGet notified by email for early access to discounts & offers on our products${ ind + 1 } ${ device }Last active - ${ la }