HYDERABAD: The 13th day of protest by students and a section of the faculty of National Institute of Tourism and Hospitality Management (NITHM) saw an abrupt end after the police detained a few students and allegedly threatened them with dire consequences if they continued to protest.
Around 70 students of the premier institute sat on a protest after the evaluation pattern to their final exams was changed by the Director of the institute, Chinam Reddy. The protest also took a political turn after Congress party representatives visited the institution and pledged their support to the students.
"We were forcefully taken into custody and the police have called our parents and warned of third-degree punishment if we refused to give up our strike," said a BBA student. "We could not do anything but compromise on our demands and end the strike," said the student who broke down emotionally.
Meanwhile, the police held that the students were taken into preventive custody under Section 151 of the IPC. "It was a regular preventive custody exercise that we have done as they were on a strike. We have lifted them to the hospital, checked their health and then let them off after taking a personal bond from them," said M Ram Babu, Inspector, Raidurgam Police Station. The situation is calm and they have come to a compromise, he added.