More Updates From The Hyderabad Central University

NEW DELHI: The situation at the Hyderabad Central University remains tense, as although food and water supplies have been restored, the arrested students and staff are still languishing in jail -- with their bail plea pushed to Monday.

In the following video, the students’ lawyer explains the details of the case against them. He says that there are three FIRs against the students -- two by the police, and one by the UoH administration. The police have revived an FIR that was filed on the night of the death of Rohith Vemula.

In the first FIR there are 30 students and two faculty members who are accused. In the second FIR there are 45 accused. In total there are 27 people who were detained. The rule, explains the defence lawyer, if you are detained by the police, then within 24 hours of detention -- the police has to produce you before a magistrate. This did not happen, says the lawyer. When 27 people were produced, late at night, the magistrate sent them to jail custody for 14 days.

Owing to a mainstream media blackout, the events of March 22 and 23, when several students were brutally thrashed by the state police, remain underreported. Over 44 students were treated for injuries caused by police lathis -- including fractures and head injuries -- at the University health centre. Several other students were admitted in hospitals across Hyderabad. PhD scholar Uday Bhanu who was reportedly attacked by the the police for cooking food for students on campus was admitted unconscious into ICU. The details regarding Bhanu and other students, as well as videos of the police attacking students can be found here.

Since then, Bhanu seems to have regained consciousness, and a video where he speaks about police brutality was posted to social media.

Another video of a student recounting the violence:

In another video, HCU Student Union President strongly condemned the state brutality.

As the campus was effectively cut off -- with no internet, electricity, food and water, and with movement being restricted as no outsiders were allowed inside, not even the media -- the details regarding the sequence of events have taken some time to emerge.

Reproduced below is the sequence of events on March 22, as detailed by India Resists:

Time: 08.40 am
Registrar Office of University of Hyderabad notifies as follows:
“Prof.Appa Rao Podile, Vice-Chancellor, resumed the charge in the Forenoon of March 22, 2016” on the website of the University of Hyderabad.

Time: 09.00 am
The news of Prof.Appa Rao Podile resuming his post of V-C spreads in the social media network and then the student fraternity and JAC starts to convey message to their fellows regarding to protest in front of his place of official residence. There was also message circulated that Prof.Appa Rao Podile was going to have Press conference at 11.30 am.

Time: 10.00 am
There was no internet access from the servers of University of Hyderabad.Students were not able to connect to internet via the WI-FI and other networks of University of Hyderabad.There was complete “Internet Access” blackout from 10 am onwards.

Time: 10.30 am
The students community and most prominent members of Joint Action Committee for Social Justice –UoH ( JACSJ-UoH) reached in front of the official place of Residence of V-C. Members of JACSJ-UoH found out the most of the Non Teaching Staff of the University and ABVP student members were already present in the Bungalow. The Non Teaching Staff and ABVP student members blocked the way for the other students and JACSJ-UoH members into entering the inside the Bungalow . ABVP student started resisting other students preventing them to enter and scuffle started. Meanwhile the ABVP students purposefully ransacked the various items and smashed the window glass panes. After sensing the act of violence, the JACSJ-UoH and other students left the Bungalow corridor and then they assembled in the front Lawn garden in the Bungalow premises. As soon as the JACSJ-UoH and other Student left the inside corridor , ABVP student members started sloganeering “ Appa Rao Zindabad , Appa Rao Zindabad” , “ Bharat Mata ki Jai , Bharat Mata ki Jai”. There were counter slogans to these “ Arrest Appa Rao , Arrest Appa Rao “ , “Justice for Rohith Vemula , Justice for Rohith Vemula” .JACSJ-UoH and other students sat in the lawn and started their “dharna” that is protest in non-violent peaceful democratic way by raising slogans against the VC Appa Rao.The notable student Member of ABVP in the whole scuffle was Gurajada Garikipati .

Time: 11.30 am
Police arrived in the campus. At the same time people associated with Media also came in the Campus.
JACSJ-UoH and other students were protesting via their sitting dharnas in the lawn of VC Bungalow and slogans were raised to arrest Appa Rao. Meanwhile two students were injured by ABVP and those were taken to University Health Center. JACSJ-UoH and other students demanded since Appa Rao is booked under PoA ACT and ground os resuming his services since already a Enquiry is under process from MHRD. Meanwhile the Non Teaching members complained the Police regarding the forceful entry of Students in the Bunglow Premise. But the version of the Private Security account differs from this narrative of the Non Teaching Staff Members. They also complained that JACSJ-UoH assaulted the non teaching Members. During this whole process there was sloganeering of “Arrest Appa Rao , Arrest Appa Rao” .

Time: 12.30 pm
The contingent of RAF, Andhra Police and more personnel of Telangana Police started to arrive at the spot. A student gives account that nearly 4 trucks and nearly 400 Police personnel were present. Meanwhile some students were giving their whole account to some Media persons in the Campus. During this time some prominent Police Office of High Rank had brief meeting with Appa Rao.After his meeting with Appa Rao , the same Police Officer met the protesting student representative and asked them to leave the Premise. But still student continued their peaceful non violent protest in forms of sloganeering. Appa Rao Podile, sends SC/ST faculties to negotiate with protesting students .

Time: 4.00 pm
Police started forceful eviction of the protesting student. Now some of the Faculty Member started to approach Police regarding the way they were Manhandling Student but they too were Lathi charged and Police use to force to disperse them. Now the whole Police Force started Lathi Charge on all the Protesting Student. Female student were Manhandled by the Male Police Personnel .A female Faculty member’s hair were pulled down and was molested by the Police Personnel. During this whole event many student got wounded and they were taken to University Health Center. Some of the students were forcefully detained and were dragged into the Police Van and were taken into Custody. Some of the prominent Faculty Member Ratnam, Sengupta , Lakshmi Narayana were also taken into custody. Molestation of Female Students, , Hair Pulling , Collar Pulling , Kicking on the body, severe Lathi Charge, Snatching the Mobile phone of Students those recording the event, searching the bags were done by the Police Personal .Very less Women Police Personal were present at the spot. There were many Police Personnel in Civil Dress those were beating the students with Lathi.

There were examples of prejudices of Police Personnel to some religious minorities students. Police asked a student name and when student told “ Ajmal “ , Police instantly beat him with Lathi and exclaimed “ You Muslim Terrorist”

Meanwhile the Registrar of the University declared “Shut down the Mess and close the Water facilities, all this protesting students will come to sense” During the forceful eviction and then lathi charges incidents of stone pelting was also noticed. The Police too indulged in the same act of stone pelting on the students. Some student got wounded in this and also police personnel.

Time: 6.00 pm
Dontha Prashanth and 36 students are arrested and taken to Chanda Nagar and Cyberabad Police station.Some students were severely wounded and were Hospitalized.The Faculty members were also wounded in the Police Lathi Charged. Prof K Y Ratnam , Prof Lakshmi Narayana , Prof Thatagata Sengupta were taken to Chanda Nagar and Cyberabad Police Station.

Time: 9.00 pm
Meanwhile the Mess is shut down and there is threatening to protest Student by the non Teaching Members. There is heavy contingent of Police presence in the Campus. Police Personnel threaten some students that their future will be doomed if they carry out such kind of protest again.
The above chronology compiled after telephonic talks with the students present at the University of Hyderabad.

If you’re at the University of Hyderabad and have updates, please email us at editor@thecitizen.in or tweet to us.

(Cover photo credit Abu Saleh)