Hyderabad Osmania Uni prof arrested under UAPA, police allege links with Maoists

Snehalatha, wife of Professor Kashim, called it a continuation of crackdown on dissenting voices in the state and said she will move court against his arrest.

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Police teams from Gajwel district of Telangana have arrested Osmania University Professor Chintakindi Kasim following raids on his residence at faculty quarters of university. The police have booked him under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) for having alleged links to Maoists.

According to police sources, the team of police officials was led by Gajwel ACP of Siddipet Police commissionarate. From Saturday early morning, police conducted searches at the professor’s house and seized several books and hard disks.

The case was registered against Kasim under Section 10.18 of the UAPA along with IPC Sections 120 B (Punishment of criminal conspiracy), 121 A (Conspiracy to overawe, by means of criminal force) and 124 A (Sedition by words, either spoken or written, or by signs, or by visible representation).

The Osmania University police have been given bandobast in discharge of the duties of Siddipet police. Osmania University Police SHO Rajashekhar Reddy speaking to TNM said, "We have no information regarding the case that he was arrested, Gajwel ACP had come with search warrant."

Snehalatha, wife of Prof Kasim, speaking to media took exception to the arrest and said that the professor was being targeted as he is writing and talking about social inequalities, problems of caste and unemployment.

According to Snehalatha who is an advocate, Kasim was illegally implicated in a case in 2016. She said "In 2016, one person called Shyam Sunder Reddy was arrested after an accident in Mulugu limits after police found several books including two written by Kasim. Police alleged that Reddy was taking them (books) to give to someone, Kasim has no relation to that at all."

She further stated that her husband’s arrest is nothing but continuation of crackdown on dissenting voices in the state. She said she will move the court against his arrest.

The Telangana police have been accused of claiming down on dissent in the state, with Gadwal district police earlier arresting several activists including Telangana Vidyarthi Vedika President Bandari Maddileti, Telangana Praja Front state vice-president Nalamasi Krishna and Osmania University's Assistant Professor K Jagan on the charges of having links with banned CPI (Maoist) and furthering their activities.

This development comes weeks after the professor's election as secretary of Viplava Rachayitala Sangam (ViRaSam). Rights activists already condemned the arrest calling it undemocratic.

TNM made several efforts to reach out to Gajwel ACP Narayana for further details on the development but in vain. The copy will be updated as and when we get a response.