Protests continue at University of Hyderabad over 400-acre land auction in Kancha Gachibowli

Hyderabad: Protests at the University of Hyderabad (UoH) continued on Wednesday, April 2, 2025, with a large group of activists gathering at the university gate, demanding the cancellation of the government’s auction of 400 acres of land in Kancha Gachibowli. Police forces were stationed at all campus gates, permitting only staff and students to enter.

According to the reports, police dispersed the protestors after a scuffle broke out between officers and the University of Hyderabad Students’ Union (UoHSU) and faculty members. The protestors had been marching towards the university’s East Campus.

In an update, the Students' Union announced the continuation of the indefinite protest. A civil society group, with their support, has filed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) to stop the clearing of trees on the disputed land, with the case scheduled for hearing today. Advocate Raghunath's office is moving the court with a writ petition aimed at preventing illegal detentions for protesting at the site, based on legal precedence.

A senior environmental lawyer has volunteered to take up the case to ensure that the land is reclaimed and officially registered under the university’s name, along with the rest of its property. Relevant documents will be shared with the lawyer, the Students’ Union confirmed.

Various civil society groups have expressed solidarity with the protestors. The Joint Action Committee (JAC) has also appealed to the UoH student community to join the UoH Teachers’ Association rally, which will take place from Ambedkar Auditorium to the East Campus at 10:00 a.m. today.

Earlier, on April 1, the Students’ Union launched an indefinite protest at the university administration building and announced a boycott of classes. This protest is in response to the university’s involvement in facilitating land clearing activities for the state government, as well as the deployment of police forces on campus.

The Students’ Union has called on the university to remove all police personnel and earth-moving machinery from campus immediately. They also demanded a written assurance that the land in question will be registered under the university’s ownership, the release of minutes from the executive committee meeting on the matter, and greater transparency regarding the land documents.

The protest follows the initiation of development work on the land by the Telangana Industrial Infrastructure Corporation (TGIIC) on March 30. The site, located at Sy. No. 25, Kancha Gachibowli Village, was cleared under a government order. When a group of students attempted to stop the operations, tensions escalated, leading to an altercation. Police reported that the Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) for Madhapur Division was injured during the incident.

As a result of the incident, 53 individuals were arrested under preventive sections of the law and later released on personal bonds. A case has been registered by TGIIC at the Gachibowli Police Station under several sections of the BNS. Two individuals, former UoH students B. Rohit Kumar and Erram Naveen Kumar, were arrested in connection with the incident.

The police have clarified that no lathi charges were used on students, and there were no forced evacuations from the hostels. Authorities have warned that legal action will be taken against anyone found disrupting public order and urged students to resolve issues through official channels.