Hyderabad, December 30: Justice L Narasimha Reddy of the High court today voiced his concern at the manner in which the authorities were dealing with the Osmania University and wondered if there were discernable discrimination.
The judge interdicted a resolution of the Executive Council of the university directing the closure of all education institutions and hostels till Jan 5.
The court was dealing with a batch of writ petitions filed by hostellers who questioned the closure of the colleges and the hostels.
Senior counsels B Tarakam and Prakash Reddy said the order of closure was without the authority of law and pointed out that it was a case of the university abdicating its power to the police commissioner who made a request for closure of the university.
They argued that there were no incidents on the campus warranting such a drastic action. In any event, they said, no case was made out for the closure of the hostels and the mess, depriving the students of food and water.
Advocate-General DV Sitaram Murthy said the decision was precautionary and not required to carry all the details. He said the situation was volatile and the preventive steps taken at the request of the commissionr of police cannot be faulted.
The judge, who had in the earlier round, suspended a similar order made by the State Government and made a similar order on an Assembly motion yesterday, wondered how the government was functioning without a consistent policy. While a person from one region was treated when he went on a hunger strike and in contrast how another MP was permitted to participate in a near-relay race and land in the NIMS in the name of a hunger strike.
Pointing to the communication of the police commissioner suggesting closure of educational institutions across Telangana, he asked if the senior police officer knew his jurisdiction. The judge also took objection to the usage of the expression `settlers’. He made it clear that it was open for the authorities to ensure that the hostel would be open only to genuine inmates.
–Agencies