Hyderabad: More than 30 students of the University of Hyderabad (UoH) are believed to have been taken into police custody on Sunday following a protest against the alleged encroachment of land near the campus for development project.

The protest, organized by the Students' Union, along with members of the Joint Action Committee (JAC), was aimed at raising awareness about the alleged illegal land grab. The protesters were rallying towards the encroached area in the East Campus, which is reportedly part of 2,400 acres of land currently held by the university.

The land, located in Kancha Gachibowli, is allegedly under threat after the state government issued a notification last year to auction 400 acres for infrastructure development and IT parks.

One of the key concerns voiced by the protestors is that the land in question is ecologically significant, serving as the last piece of biodiverse urban forest cover and habitat for several protected species in Hyderabad. According to media reports, the University has long been a sanctuary for several endangered bird species, mammals and plants.

"The land is situated in an area already densely populated with IT parks, large infrastructure, and buildings. One of the reasons behind the protest is that the land being auctioned is part of the 2,400 acres of land under Hyderabad University. Secondly, the land is the remaining piece of ecologically significant and biodiverse urban forest cover in Hyderabad and is home to a variety of protected species. The area is also home to Mushroom Rock, an ancient rock formation, and two water bodies (Peacock Lake and Buffalo Lake). Therefore, there is a need to protect it instead of destroying it," said Azeez, a Malayali student at Hyderabad University, speaking with Mathrubhumi English.

Interestingly, the development came barely days after Minister D Sridhar Babu said the state govt would not touch even an inch of the land belonging to the University. He also assured that the govt will not touch the two lakes (Peacock Lake & Buffalo Lake) and the rock formations, over which students have raised concerns.

Meanwhile, reports indicate that police forces, including armed personnel, were deployed to the campus, along with five JCB vehicles tasked with clearing the forest land. According to local media reports, a journalist covering the students’ protests was also reportedly detained by the police.

"Last day, a protest ensued at the campus and police took custody of several students. Today, we noticed five JCBs brought inside the campus to clear the forest cover. As students exercised their democratic right to protest, police personnel resorted to forceful detentions, manhandling several students," a student said.

The Students' Union expressed its disappointment with the university administration's lack of response to the encroachment issue and its apparent collusion with the police.

"The inaction and silence of the university administration in addressing this grave issue are alarming. Instead of protecting the students and ensuring transparency, the university security forces are acting in tandem with the police, suppressing student voices and enabling unlawful encroachment. The Students' Union has repeatedly sought a response from the administration, but no official statement or action has been taken so far," the Union said in a statement.

The Students' Union and the JAC are demanding the immediate release of all detained students and a formal statement from the university regarding the encroachment.

"We will continue to resist this land grab, and we urge the university community, civil society groups, and media to support us in this fight for justice and the protection of our campus land," the Students' Union added.