Since Sunday, 31 March, over 50 bulldozers continued clearing land in Kancha Gachibowli, adjacent to the University of Hyderabad, despite strong backlash and protests from students and university staff.
"Right now, as we speak, each minute, a tree is being felled. The animals here are dying—you can hear the peacocks and deer crying nonstop," Ananya Dash, a PhD scholar in Sociology and a member of the University's Student Union, told The Quint on Wednesday.
Since the bulldozers first arrived, tensions have escalated on campus, with students clashing with the police on multiple accounts.
Circulating visuals from the site show students being dragged, beaten, forcefully pushed into police vans, and having their phones snatched.
On Thursday, the Supreme Court directed the Telangana chief secretary to ensure that until further orders, no felling of trees be permitted at Kancha Gachibowli site, reported PTI.
The Apex Court has also asked the Registrar (Judicial) of the Telangana High Court to visit the site in Kancha Gachibowli where the felling of trees has been going on.
A day before, on Wednesday, 2 April, while hearing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) petition seeking a stay on the excavation and uprooting of trees in the area, the Telangana High Court had ordered the state government to halt tree felling activities immediately until the next hearing scheduled for Thursday.
This is, however, a brief respite, as a heavy police presence continues to prevail in the university campus, and two protesters remain in judicial custody.
What happened at UoH in the past few days, and what’s next? Why are the students protesting?
Here’s everything you need to know.
'Beaten, Dragged, and Silenced': Why Are Students in Hyderabad Still Protesting?
1. 'The Situation Escalated Fast': What Happened on Sunday?
Recalling Sunday's events, Saurav Singh, a master's student at the University, told The Quint, "It was a quiet day because the university was pretty empty. Many students had gone home for the long weekend due to Eid and Ugadi (New Year celebrated in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana). That’s when the bulldozers entered and started clearing the trees on this land."
He added that the bulldozers were accompanied by police reinforcements.
"They had come prepared because NGOs and students have been protesting against the plan to clear this area for commercial use, for weeks," he said.
The area was barricaded when Ananya Dash, another student, reached the site.
"They let me through the barricades. Once I got inside, I asked why they are doing this. They didn’t answer. Instead, a couple of female police officers grabbed me. I told them I was leaving to go back to my room, and I didn't want to create any trouble, but they didn't listen. They snatched my phone and lifted me, forcefully dumping me in a police bus." Ananya, a PhD scholar and member of the university's Student Union, told The Quint.
"It felt like an assault. I have bruises all over my back, chest and arms."
Ananya"I have injuries on my hand, and one of my friends was badly hurt on the head. The police only allowed us to take him to the hospital after an hour of pleading," Anurag, another student who was detained, said.
53 students, including Ananya and Anurag, were detained by the police on Sunday till wee hours, when they were finally released after pressure from the joint committee of students' and teachers' unions.
While Ananya was released at 11 PM, another University student and former Student Union President, Mh Ateeq Ahmed was released at 1 AM the next day.
"We were all separated and detained in different police stations across the city," he said.
At least one student has alleged that they were told they could only be released if they signed an affidavit pledging not to participate in protests or be involved in land-related issues on campus.
"They took our Aadhar card numbers, and our parents numbers and threatened to call our parents."
Ananya, studentThe Gachibowli Police, on the other hand, released a statement on Monday denying lathi charge and said, "a group of people from Hyderabad Central University...tried to stop the work forcefully and attacked officials and workers with sticks and stones...upon that the police took 53 members for preventing arrest u/s 170 BNS. Those taken on preventive arrest were released later on personal bonds."
The statement also mentions that a case was registered against two of them, B. Rohit Kumar and Erram Naveen Kumar after a complaint was received from TGIIC (Telangana Industrial Infrastructure Corporation).
A chargesheet was filed against the two men under sections 329(3), 121(2), 132, 191(3), 351(3), read with 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (sections related to criminal trespassing and rioting).
The Quint reached out to the Gachibowli Police Station with a detailed questionnaire. Their responses will be updated as soon as they reply.
Expand2. Who Does The Land Belong To?
Located in Rangareddy district, the 400 acres of land in Kancha Gachibowli lie adjacent to the University of Hyderabad, with no clear boundary separating the two.
The issue arose when the 400 acres of land was auctioned by TGIIC for large-scale projects aimed at building IT parks and urban living spaces.
While the state government claims sole ownership of the land, the University of Hyderabad (UOH) Joint Action Committee (JAC) asserts that, although not officially documented, the land is part of a larger area allotted to the public university for academic use.
To understand the conflict, we need to go back a few decades.
In 1974, before the inception of Telangana, the Andhra Pradesh government allotted over 2,300 acres of land to the University of Hyderabad under the instruction of then-Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. However, the legal rights to the land were never been transferred to the university.
According to sources, the university administration has been writing to the state government for the past 15 years, requesting the transfer of ownership of the land (including the disputed 400 acres) to the university, but they have not received any response.
One of the demands of the protesting students and faculty is that all land allotted to the university be officially registered under the university’s name.
This isn't the first time the state government has used part of the allotted land for non-academic purposes. Over the years, sections have been allocated for public utilities, roads, a sports stadium, and more, causing gradual friction.
The Andhra Pradesh government had allotted 400 acres of land in Kancha Gachibowli to IMG Academies Bharata Pvt Ltd on 13 January 2004, for the development of sports facilities. However, when the project did not materialise, the government revoked the allotment on 21 November 2006.
Following a prolonged legal battle, IMG Academies Bharata Pvt Ltd filed a petition in the High Court, which ruled in favour of the government on 24 March 2024.
Subsequently, on 19 June 2024, TGIIC submitted proposals to acquire the 400 acres for an IT park. The revenue department's principal secretary approved the land transfer and granted advance possession to TGIIC.
The hasty clearing of this land for these projects further intensified the conflict between the Telangana government and the university.
Expand3. Why Are Students Protesting Against This Project?
One reason for the protests is the ecological significance of the area, which supports over 800 species of flora and fauna.
Another concern raised by the protesters is that the land clearing began under questionable circumstances, without proper surveys or demarcation by the government.
In a press statement, TGIIC said that a survey was conducted on 19 July, 2024 in the presence of university officials for boundary demarcation.
But on the other hand, the Univerisy of Hyderabad, in a statement of their own released on 31 March said, "no survey was conducted in July 2024 by the revenue authorities in the Univeristy campus to demarcate the 400 acres of land resumed by the State Government in 2006 from Ms IMG Academies Bharata Pvt Ltd."
They also refuted the TGIIC's claim that the University agreed to the said demarcation of the land.
"All of the university land is the state government's, even the area where the main buildings stand. There is no clear demarcation of where this 400 acres begins and ends. Before that is determined, how have they allowed the clearing of the land to take place?" said Saurav.
The Union Ministry of Environment took cognisance of the case and on Wednesday, 2 April, asked the Telangana Government to immediately submit a factual report on the state's activities in the area and take action in case of illegal clearing of vegetation.
Expand4. 'No Support From the University Administration'
Apart from the press note issued by the university on Tuesday, the administration has remained silent on the issue.
"We want the administration to take accountability. Why are they allowing the police a free hand to manhandle and abuse the students?"
Saurav, studentSpeaking to The Quint, one of the professors at the university said that the university administration was "incommunicado so far", but the Vice Chancellor and the Registrar of the university met with the protesting students and faculty for the first time on Wednesday. "They were asked to explain why they were not available the last two days, but they didn't answer."
He added,
"They said that the police are there (on the campus) because of law and order issues and that there isn't anything they can do about it."
Additionally, the newly constructed departments of three courses, including Maths and statistics, economics, and management, are in the disputed site. "The students have to go through that land to reach their classes. So, it's been hard for students to have their regular academics there," the professor told The Quint.
"There are at least 200 police officials around the campus even now. They have heavily restricted our movements. We can't exit from the main gate or go to the east campus. It's like we are under a campus arrest," said Ateeq Ahmed.
When protesting students and faculty members tried to march from the main gate to the forest area on Wednesday, the police stopped the procession and reportedly resorted to lathi charge.
In addition to halting the bulldozer activity, the students' union and teachers' union have called for an indefinite protest, demanding the removal of police from the campus, among other demands.
The Quint reached out to the University Registrar and Dean of Students with a detailed questionnaire on the matter but did not receive a response.
Expand
'The Situation Escalated Fast': What Happened on Sunday?
Recalling Sunday's events, Saurav Singh, a master's student at the University, told The Quint, "It was a quiet day because the university was pretty empty. Many students had gone home for the long weekend due to Eid and Ugadi (New Year celebrated in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana). That’s when the bulldozers entered and started clearing the trees on this land."
He added that the bulldozers were accompanied by police reinforcements.
"They had come prepared because NGOs and students have been protesting against the plan to clear this area for commercial use, for weeks," he said.
The area was barricaded when Ananya Dash, another student, reached the site.
"They let me through the barricades. Once I got inside, I asked why they are doing this. They didn’t answer. Instead, a couple of female police officers grabbed me. I told them I was leaving to go back to my room, and I didn't want to create any trouble, but they didn't listen. They snatched my phone and lifted me, forcefully dumping me in a police bus." Ananya, a PhD scholar and member of the university's Student Union, told The Quint.
"It felt like an assault. I have bruises all over my back, chest and arms."Ananya
"I have injuries on my hand, and one of my friends was badly hurt on the head. The police only allowed us to take him to the hospital after an hour of pleading," Anurag, another student who was detained, said.
53 students, including Ananya and Anurag, were detained by the police on Sunday till wee hours, when they were finally released after pressure from the joint committee of students' and teachers' unions.
While Ananya was released at 11 PM, another University student and former Student Union President, Mh Ateeq Ahmed was released at 1 AM the next day.
"We were all separated and detained in different police stations across the city," he said.
At least one student has alleged that they were told they could only be released if they signed an affidavit pledging not to participate in protests or be involved in land-related issues on campus.
"They took our Aadhar card numbers, and our parents numbers and threatened to call our parents."Ananya, student
The Gachibowli Police, on the other hand, released a statement on Monday denying lathi charge and said, "a group of people from Hyderabad Central University...tried to stop the work forcefully and attacked officials and workers with sticks and stones...upon that the police took 53 members for preventing arrest u/s 170 BNS. Those taken on preventive arrest were released later on personal bonds."
The statement also mentions that a case was registered against two of them, B. Rohit Kumar and Erram Naveen Kumar after a complaint was received from TGIIC (Telangana Industrial Infrastructure Corporation).
A chargesheet was filed against the two men under sections 329(3), 121(2), 132, 191(3), 351(3), read with 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (sections related to criminal trespassing and rioting).
The Quint reached out to the Gachibowli Police Station with a detailed questionnaire. Their responses will be updated as soon as they reply.
Who Does The Land Belong To?
Located in Rangareddy district, the 400 acres of land in Kancha Gachibowli lie adjacent to the University of Hyderabad, with no clear boundary separating the two.
The issue arose when the 400 acres of land was auctioned by TGIIC for large-scale projects aimed at building IT parks and urban living spaces.
While the state government claims sole ownership of the land, the University of Hyderabad (UOH) Joint Action Committee (JAC) asserts that, although not officially documented, the land is part of a larger area allotted to the public university for academic use.
To understand the conflict, we need to go back a few decades.
In 1974, before the inception of Telangana, the Andhra Pradesh government allotted over 2,300 acres of land to the University of Hyderabad under the instruction of then-Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. However, the legal rights to the land were never been transferred to the university.
According to sources, the university administration has been writing to the state government for the past 15 years, requesting the transfer of ownership of the land (including the disputed 400 acres) to the university, but they have not received any response.
One of the demands of the protesting students and faculty is that all land allotted to the university be officially registered under the university’s name.
This isn't the first time the state government has used part of the allotted land for non-academic purposes. Over the years, sections have been allocated for public utilities, roads, a sports stadium, and more, causing gradual friction.
The Andhra Pradesh government had allotted 400 acres of land in Kancha Gachibowli to IMG Academies Bharata Pvt Ltd on 13 January 2004, for the development of sports facilities. However, when the project did not materialise, the government revoked the allotment on 21 November 2006.
Following a prolonged legal battle, IMG Academies Bharata Pvt Ltd filed a petition in the High Court, which ruled in favour of the government on 24 March 2024.
Subsequently, on 19 June 2024, TGIIC submitted proposals to acquire the 400 acres for an IT park. The revenue department's principal secretary approved the land transfer and granted advance possession to TGIIC.
The hasty clearing of this land for these projects further intensified the conflict between the Telangana government and the university.
Why Are Students Protesting Against This Project?
One reason for the protests is the ecological significance of the area, which supports over 800 species of flora and fauna.
Another concern raised by the protesters is that the land clearing began under questionable circumstances, without proper surveys or demarcation by the government.
In a press statement, TGIIC said that a survey was conducted on 19 July, 2024 in the presence of university officials for boundary demarcation.
But on the other hand, the Univerisy of Hyderabad, in a statement of their own released on 31 March said, "no survey was conducted in July 2024 by the revenue authorities in the Univeristy campus to demarcate the 400 acres of land resumed by the State Government in 2006 from Ms IMG Academies Bharata Pvt Ltd."
They also refuted the TGIIC's claim that the University agreed to the said demarcation of the land.
"All of the university land is the state government's, even the area where the main buildings stand. There is no clear demarcation of where this 400 acres begins and ends. Before that is determined, how have they allowed the clearing of the land to take place?" said Saurav.
The Union Ministry of Environment took cognisance of the case and on Wednesday, 2 April, asked the Telangana Government to immediately submit a factual report on the state's activities in the area and take action in case of illegal clearing of vegetation.
'No Support From the University Administration'
Apart from the press note issued by the university on Tuesday, the administration has remained silent on the issue.
"We want the administration to take accountability. Why are they allowing the police a free hand to manhandle and abuse the students?"Saurav, student
Speaking to The Quint, one of the professors at the university said that the university administration was "incommunicado so far", but the Vice Chancellor and the Registrar of the university met with the protesting students and faculty for the first time on Wednesday. "They were asked to explain why they were not available the last two days, but they didn't answer."
He added,
"They said that the police are there (on the campus) because of law and order issues and that there isn't anything they can do about it."
Additionally, the newly constructed departments of three courses, including Maths and statistics, economics, and management, are in the disputed site. "The students have to go through that land to reach their classes. So, it's been hard for students to have their regular academics there," the professor told The Quint.
"There are at least 200 police officials around the campus even now. They have heavily restricted our movements. We can't exit from the main gate or go to the east campus. It's like we are under a campus arrest," said Ateeq Ahmed.
When protesting students and faculty members tried to march from the main gate to the forest area on Wednesday, the police stopped the procession and reportedly resorted to lathi charge.
In addition to halting the bulldozer activity, the students' union and teachers' union have called for an indefinite protest, demanding the removal of police from the campus, among other demands.
The Quint reached out to the University Registrar and Dean of Students with a detailed questionnaire on the matter but did not receive a response.