‘Can't I go for a walk at night?’ Public outcry as Hyderabad police detain 4 for roaming with ‘no valid reason'

In a post from the official handle of the Station House Officer, @ShoTolichowki, the force stated that the four individuals were “booked in petty cases” after being found roaming within the station’s limits at midnight.

A police station in Hyderabad is facing significant public scrutiny after detaining four young men for the stated reason of “roaming… without any valid reason” late at night, an action a special court subsequently endorsed with judicial remand.

The controversy erupted after the Tolichowki Police Station took to the social media platform X (formerly Twitter) on November 18 to announce the incident. In a post from the official handle of the Station House Officer, @ShoTolichowki, the force stated that the four individuals were “booked in petty cases” after being found roaming within the station’s limits at midnight.

“Four persons were found roaming in the Tolichowki Police Station limits at midnight without any valid reason, booked in petty cases and have been remanded to judicial custody for three to seven days by the Hon’ble XII Special Court, Manoranjini Complex,” the post read.

Four persons were found roaming in the Tolichowki Police Station limits at midnight without any valid reason, booked a petty cases and have been remanded to judicial custody from three to seven days by the Hon’ble XII Special Court, Manoranjini Complex. pic.twitter.com/P0QD98n391

— SHO TOLICHOWKI (@ShoTolichowki) November 18, 2025

As the post gained traction online, it was met with a wave of criticism and disbelief from netizens. Many questioned the legal basis for detaining someone simply for being outside without a stated purpose.

One user responded directly, asking, “Sir, is this a joke? Can't I go for a walk in the night without any reason?” Another critique focused on the legal grounds, querying, “Under which Section is it prescribed to have a valid reason to roam on Roads & and under which Section is it punishable not to have a valid reason to roam on Roads? It's self-imposed Law - Police Raaj.”

Faced with the online backlash, the Tolichowki police issued a clarification on the platform. The FPJ reported that the police responded to comments by asserting that the individuals were not ordinary citizens on a stroll.

In its defence, the police stated that the four accused were “already involved in many cases and have a Suspect sheet.” The official response further claimed the group were “moving suspiciously” and that “further counselling was given to change them, but they continued the same.”

The police maintained that their actions were rooted in “public safety and crime prevention.” Despite this justification, the incident has sparked a broader debate about policing powers, the right to free movement and the threshold for reasonable suspicion in urban centres.