25 students and 2 faculty members arrested for UoH violence

Hyderabad: Cyberabad police has arrested 25 students and two faculty members from the UoH campus in connection with Tuesday’s violence. They were produced before the Miyapur court and sent to judicial remand.

Two cases have been booked against them by the Gachibowli police.  A large police force was deployed on Wednesday to restrict student movement and stop gatherings. According to Gachibowli police inspector J. Ramesh, two cases, for damaging public property, trespass and preventing public officials from performing their duties and other relevant sections of IPC, have been booked. Among the arrested were political science associate professor Konda Yesu Ratnam, 53, department of mathematics assistant professor Dr Tathagata Sengupta, 31, UoH ASA leader Dontha Prashanth and OU student leader Manne Krishank.

Staff was prepared to fight back, says JAC
Tuesday’s violence at the UoH V-C’s Lodge was anticipated by those who were responsible for ensuring the smooth return of Prof. Appa Rao Podile after two months of leave following the suicide of research scholar Rohith Vemula.

A member of the JAC for Social Justice, which is spearheading the protests following the Rohith Vemula suicide, said, “The V-C and university administration knew that some students would not be able to contain their rage and some violence might occur. We believe that it was a planned move so that once violence breaks out, the police can be called in and there can be a clampdown on campus, which is happening now. Even the media is not being allowed inside.”

The JAC uploaded a few sheets found during the protests at the V-C’s lodge on Wednesday on their FB page in which details of the tasks to be taken up by various teaching and non-teaching staff members were mentioned. In one of the task sheets mentions names of police officers to be contacted in case there is a law and order problem and also says that it should be checked by deputy registrar of security.