With the Andhra Pradesh government expressing a fear that naxalites had infiltrated the Osmania University campus in the guise of students, the Supreme Court on Friday stayed an interim order of a single judge of the Andhra Pradesh High Court directing the State government to withdraw the para-military/rapid action forces from the campus.
A Bench of Justice G.S. Singhvi and Justice T.S. Thakur stayed the order till February 23 on an appeal filed by the State government challenging the order of the Division Bench refusing to interfere with the single judge’s order, dated February 15.
The Bench, in its brief order, directed the State Home Secretary to ensure that the forces were deployed on and outside the campus strictly under his supervision and none of the authorities should misbehave with the students in the university. The Home Secretary should review the deployment of forces every day, the Bench said and requested the High Court Division Bench to make available the copy of the order dated February 16. It listed the matter for further hearing on February 23.
