Several students from the University of Hyderabad were detained by the Hyderabad police on Sunday following a protest against the Telangana government's alleged takeover of land on the eastern side of the campus.
The students gathered at the site after noticing bulldozers in the area. Some climbed onto the vehicle, chanting slogans against the police and calling for them to "go back." According to a police official, 53 students were taken into preventive custody but were released later, India Today reported.
According to the report, the protest was in response to the auction of 400 acres in the area, as the Telangana government plans to develop the land and set up an IT park there. The 400-acre land parcel at Kancha Gachibowli borders the University of Hyderabad. A section of university students and others opposed the proposal to auction the land, citing environmental concerns.
According to the police, the protesting students prevented government officials from carrying out their duties and that some of them assaulted police officers.
Students, on the other hand, reported that earthmovers were being used to clear the land. "JCBs are working on the eastern side of the campus, clearing the land," a student representative said.
One student claimed that she was forcibly detained by the police. "We just wanted to understand why they are destroying the forest land, but instead, they detained us aggressively and inappropriately touched me," she alleged.
The University of Hyderabad Students’ Union (UoHSU) issued a statement condemning the police's actions and the detention of students. When we found out about the deployment of a police force and earthmovers, the union and members of the Joint Action Committee organised a peaceful rally towards the area, UoSHU’s statement read.
The students’ body alleged that the earthmovers were brought in to clear the forest land, "raising serious concerns about the ecological and territorial integrity of the campus".
However, University authorities have denied that the land belongs to the institution. The administration said that the disputed land was not part of the university's legally allotted area.
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