Rejoinder By Madhapur Police On HCU Violence

The Madhapur police issued the following note on the violence and other events in the University Of Hyderabad this week.

"With reference to various newspaper versions, this is to clarify that the Madhapur Police was deployed in the University of Hyderabad upon the specific request of the University Registrar that they expect law and order problems.

The Vice-Chancellor Appa Rao entered the University and the VC's lodge on his own, and there was no information to the Gachibowli Police. The SHO Gachibowli got information at 10:40 am that some students had entered the VC's lodge and ransacked it to protest against the VC's return. From 11 am to 5:10 pm, the Madhapur Police tried to convince the 150-odd students to leave the VC's lodge premises, but they didn't leave. Finally, after two warnings and the refusal to leave by the students, the police had to lift and take them away.

The evicted students formed into a mob outside the compound wall and started stone-pelting in which 4 police officers got injured including one women inspector Sunita and one constable who got a head injury. The police had to use mild force to disperse the students, and took 27 of them into custody. There was no lathicharge or abuse of any girl students by male policemen as wrongly reported in some media.

The police has no other role to play in the University apart from the single objective of preventing a clash between opposing groups. The police has no role in closure of the canteens and Hostel mess - it is the internal matter of the University. Police is not involved in any way in stopping of cooking etc. in the campus. The closing of the gates of the University for outsiders is a decision of the University authorities, and the Police has nothing to do with this decision. The University's own security is manning the gates of the university. The role of the Police remains the maintenance of law and order by preventing any clash among various groups and any damage to public or private property.

It has come to notice that some university security persons who wear a khaki-colored uniform are being mistaken as policemen by the media and others. It has also come to knowledge that though the police is acting fairly and judiciously to maintain peace in the university, some people with vested interests are propagating false information and also misquoting facts. (sic)"