Several students from the University of Hyderabad were detained by Cyberabad police on Sunday afternoon after staging a protest on the East campus against the clearing of land within the 400-acre Kancha Gachibowli area. The Telangana government has proposed auctioning this land for multi-infrastructure and IT park development.According to students, eight earth movers were deployed for the land clearing, accompanied by a heavy police presence. Upon learning of the activity, a large group of students rushed to the site, raising slogans in opposition to the government’s plans. Protesters have been actively opposing the auction, citing concerns about preserving the campuss biodiversity and ecosystem.

Cyberabad Police Commissioner Avinash Mohanty confirmed that nearly 50 students were placed under preventive custody.“They were detained for creating a public nuisance and obstructing TGIIC authorities from proceeding with their work. Some students also assaulted police personnel, and depending on the situation, cases may be filed against them,” Mohanty told indianexpress.com.Kancha Gachibowli is situated in the heart of Hyderabad’s IT corridor. Addressing the issue in the Assembly, Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy claimed the protests were politically motivated, dismissing environmental concerns. “There are no tigers or deer in that area, but some cunning ‘foxes’ are trying to hinder development,” he alleged, accusing the Opposition of inciting student demonstrations and using legal petitions to stall the project.

IT and Industries Minister D. Sridhar Babu clarified in the Assembly that the land slated for auction does not belong to the university, asserting that it is solely owned by the state government.On Sunday, students alleged that police used excessive force, pushing them into police vans and trucks before transporting them to undisclosed locations. “At least 100 protesters have been taken away. We were peacefully protesting within our campus when the police resorted to force, including against female students,” claimed one protester.Students were later taken to the Raidurg and Madhapur police stations.Following the detentions, remaining students gathered at the university’s main gate to continue their protest.

“Yesterday, we burned an effigy of Revanth Reddy, and now authorities are rushing to carry out the work without any delay. They haven’t waited for proper land demarcation or for the next hearing of our PIL on April 7, which seeks to declare Kancha Gachibowli a national park,” said another student. The student also alleged that police locked the university’s main gate from the outside, restricting movement and preventing media access.

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