Telangana Government has announced ₹1 crore ex-gratia to the family of 25-year-old Gajula Sowmya. She was a Prohibition and Excise constable injured while trying to catch ganja smugglers in Nizamabad and died on Saturday, January 31, 2026. Prohibition and Excise Minister Jupally Krishna Rao also promised a government job for her brother. The government will continue to pay Sowmya’s salary for the rest of her service till her notional retirement date. Several ministers reacted to her death. Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy expressed anguish and ordered strict action against those responsible. Sowmya was admitted to Nizam’s Institute of Medical Sciences (NIMS) in Hyderabad and treated for a week. Unfortunately, she passed away on January 31. The Chief Minister assured full support to her family. On Sunday, Minister Rao paid tribute at Gandhi Hospital in Hyderabad where the post-mortem was done. He praised Sowmya’s courage and said her work was "exemplary and inspiring." Rao added that Excise Department staff will donate one day’s salary to her family. The Excise Minister also said, "Safety of the Department’s staff and officials is Government’s responsibility." A proposal to provide arms to the officials is under government review, and a decision will come soon.