Director General Of Police K Aravinda Rao on Friday categorically told media persons that on no account did the police open fire at protesting students in Osmania University on Thursday, contrary to rumours doing rounds in the city.
These rumours were mostly being circulated through SMSes.
He lashed out at rumour mongers by saying that such acts were an attempt to deliberately vitiate the peaceful atmosphere.
The DGP met Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy at the Secretariat on Friday afternoon and briefed him about the violence which took place at the university.
The students had pelted stones and torched 3 buses in protest against the recommendations of the
Justice B N Srikrishna Committee Report.
As many as 24 police personnel, including an additional Deputy Commissioner Of Police were injured in the stone-pelting, while the police lathi-charge left 4 students injured.
Aravinda Rao said that the police had used only teargas shells to disperse the protestors.
He added that while 12 persons had been arrested across the state in connection with the torching of the buses and stone-pelting after the report was disclosed to the public.
The DGP added that the intention of the police was to curb violence and check the students from entering the Vice-Chancellor's lodges in the campus.
Aravinda Rao added that the police could not look on unconcerned when the students were attempting to proceed to attack the VC's lodges.
When asked why the police had entered the campus contrary to the court's direction, the DGP replied that they could not afford to remain silent spectators when the students were taking law into their hands.
The DGP added that the police had strict instructions to use non-lethal small-intensity pellet-shooting guns. He added that his men were instructed not to use weapons like .303 rifles and self-loading rifles.
Aravinda Rao further admitted that while tension was still in the air at the Osmania University, the police are keen to ensure that the situation was not aggravated.
The DGP added that the Central Paramilitary Forces had been moved out from the varsity and only personnel of the Andhra Pradesh Special Police (APSP) were stationed on the campus.
Courtesy: INN