Hyderabad: For protesting refusal of the TRS government to Communist Party India for an anti CAA-NRC rally in the city which student leadr Kanhaiya Kumar was to attend, prominent city activists Sheela Sarah Matthews, Jasveen Jairath and Ilyas Khan were arrested outside Hajj House.
“As a crowd gathered by the Commissioner’s Office for the demonstration, the police started rounding up Sarah, Jasveen, me and others,” said Khan.
While being hauled into a police jeep by female officers, Matthews and Jairath inquired, “Where are you taking us and why are you taking us?”
Matthews and Jairath were taken to the Basheer Bagh Commissioner’s office and then taken to the Begum Bazaar Police station where they are currently detained. Khan is presently detained at Narayanguda Police Station.
Only yesterday did Hyderabad Police deny permission for the former JNUSU Student leader. Apart from Kanhaiya Kumar, CPI National Secretary K Narayana, Fomer MP Syed Aziz Pasha, JAC Convenor Mushtaq Malik and Siasat News Editor Mr. Amer Ali Khan were suppose to take part in the public meeting.
Jairath is known to be a vocal human rights advocate and Matthews has been a part of gender equality NGOs like Sankalp.
The three were put under preventative detention until 5 pm. None of them experienced any mistreatment or torture. Many lawyers who received videos of their arrest that were being circulated via social media and WhatsApp came to check on Jairath and Matthews.
The latter states, “The beauty of this is that we didn’t know a lot of them and yet they came to the police station.”