Telangana Joint Action Committee (TJAC) chairman Kodandaram was arrested by the police in the early hours of Wednesday as the committee was preparing for a rally in Hyderabad in the day, protesting against the delay in filling vacancies in government jobs and a few other demands.
A police team, headed by East Zone DCP Ravinder, went to Mr. Kodandaram's residence at Taraka at 3 a.m. and requested him to surrender. However, he and a few other TJAC leaders questioned the timing of the police's visit to the house and asked them to come at 6 a.m. But the police officials argued that they have the right to take anyone into preventive custody at any time.
The TJAC leaders said such suppression was not seen even during the Telangana agitation and the police did not visit his house when permission was not granted for his programmes.
Even as arguments were on, the police broke open the doors and arrested him.
Hundreds of TJAC activists were also picked up from various places in the city. Similarly, activists coming to the city for the unemployed rally were arrested in districts.
Meanwhile, tension prevailed at the Osmania University when a student tried to immolate himself but was saved by the police in time.
As the police barricaded entrance of the university preventing students from going to Indira Park for the proposed rally and public meeting demanding filling up of vacancies, Sandeep Chamar came to Arts College entrance with a bottle of petrol. Even as the police moved in to stop him he poured petrol on himself and tried to immolate. The police reached there in time and prevented him from lighting the matchstick. He was taken into custody and moved to the OU Police Station. Mr. Chamar is associated with the Telangana Students Union.
Other parts of the Osmania campus too witnessed protests. Students from various hostels tried to take out a rally and demanded the police to allow them to join the meeting at Indira Park. But the police refused stating that there was no permission for the rally. Meanwhile, students from Nizam College and PG College, Secunderabad also staged protests and were stopped by police from leaving their campuses to join protests. Arguments between the police and students were seen at Nizam College when students tried to burn Chief Minister's effigy against the “police excesses”. They were taken into custody after heated arguments.
Mr. Kodandaram, who was shifted to Kamatipura police station, was not allowed to meet anyone. Former MP Anjan Kumar Yadav, who went to police station was prevented from meeting him. JAC leaders alleged that phones of all JAC leaders were snatched by the police cutting all access to outside the station. Even Mr. Kodandaram's wife was not allowed to speak to him, they alleged.
