The High Court on Monday directed the police authorities to permit students of Osmania University to leave or enter the campus individually if they furnish their identity cards. Students will be stopped if they are in a group.
Judges V Eswaraiah and K G Shankar gave the directive while dealing with a writ petition filed by APCLC general secretary C Chandrasekhar seeking a judicial inquiry into the alleged teargassing of Osmania University students on campus. The petitioner’s counsel said the police have barred the entry and exit points of the university, thereby confining the students to campus.
The government said this was done because the students were planning to take out a rally to Raj Bhavan. As prohibitory orders are in force in the city, the procession was not allowed. The students then pelted stones on the police, who had to act quickly to control the situation.
The petitioner told the bench that students were prevented from going to the Telangana separatist Samara Deeksha meeting at Indira Park, although it was permitted by the government.
The bench asked the government to clarify whether tear gas shells were lobbed into the campus. The government said the students were only stoped at the exit gate but no teargassing took place.
The bench advised the authorities not to be ‘hyper-technical’ in dealing with the students and asked the authorities to file a counter-affidavit by Feb. 4. The matter was adjourned.