Students and Non-teaching staff encounter the police force in Hyderabad University

Bulldozers brought into the campus of Hyderabad university for cutting down a green corner at gachibowli to prepare a 400 acres of land for state government auction.

8 bulldozers were placed inside the eastern part of the campus along with huge police force, students arrived in groups to the location putting an effort to implement the exercise.

As the police force started clearing off the shrubs and levelling down the land, many women students intervened and raised a slogan against the police personal who surrounded the entire east campus.

In order to stop the force many students climbed up onto the excavators whereas many laid down in front of the machine. Although, police personal dragged the students including students union general secretary Nihad Sulaiman.

“At least 50 students were detained. Several students were beaten and their clothes were torn by the police. We will continue the protest until all detained students are released,” said Umesh Ambedkar, president of UoH Students Union.

The protesters have been arguing that any development activity would spell doom for the flora and fauna, creating ecological imbalance besides destroying lung space for the city. Some protesters complained that the police pulled them by their hair and hit them with helmets. “We just wanted to know what was happening there but the police forcibly took six students, including girls,” the student said.

According to a research scholar, initially five excavators arrived at the Kancha Gachibowli land, along with heavy police deployment, and later three more were brought in. “How can the State government start the land auctioning process when the matter is sub judice with the next hearing scheduled for April 7,” she questioned. The protesters have been arguing that any development activity would spell doom for the flora and fauna, creating ecological imbalance besides destroying lung space for the city. Later at night, around 300 students gathered at the university main gate to continue their protest. Their efforts to hold a press conference were thwarted by the police who locked the gate, not allowing students to venture out. A girl student, who was among those detained, said they had reached the east campus to find out why the excavators were on the campus. “We just questioned the officials there. In fact, I was returning when the police forcibly detained me,” she added.