Tension flares as Hyderabad police crack down on Group I aspirants

Hyderabad police detain protesting Group 1 aspirants, sparking controversy over use of force and lack of official orders.

The Central Zone police of Hyderabad detained about 30 protesting Group 1 aspirants across the zone, including from Gandhi Bhavan and Chikkadpally areas, on Friday (October 18, 2024). While the aspirants were allegedly thrashed by the police with lathis to disperse, higher officials claimed that they did not order any such enforcement.

The shops in the Ashok Nagar area of Musheerabad, which house numerous coaching centres and residential premises with aspirants preparing for competitive exams, were asked to shut down by the police without any official orders of curfew.

Police officers in Hyderabad said that they intervened to disperse groups of protesters in Ashok Nagar who had gathered without prior permission. When the protesters refused to comply with the police’s directive to disperse, a confrontation ensued. The police ultimately resorted to the use of lathis to disperse the crowd.

A small time tea vendor who was asked to close his stall by 5 p.m. and keep the place not open for long hours till October 21, the date of Group I examination, said that this was to avoid gathering of students.

The move by the police drew flak on social media as well with netizens asking them why to use so much force on aspirants demanding a fair ask. “Some of us aspirants will become DSPs one day. We shall remember this day,” said one of them.

Meanwhile, Group-IV job aspirants also gathered at Gandhi Bhavan to raise concerns about the announcement of results. The protesters argued that candidates selected for Group 1, and Group 2 mains round should not impede the recruitment process for these jobs. The candidates also expressed their concerns about the backlogs of thousands of vacant posts and called for the government to respond quickly to their demands.