IIIT-Hyderabad cancels screening of documentary ‘Prisoner No. 626710 is Present’

IIIT Hyderabad on Friday said it had cancelled the proposed screening of documentary ‘Prisoner No. 626710 is Present’ by a student group, stating that no official permission was obtained. The institute also denied any association with the proposed event.

Hyderabad: The International Institute of Information Technology Hyderabad (IIIT-H) on Friday said that it had cancelled the screening of the documentary ‘Prisoner No. 626710 is Present’ by a student group on the institute’s campus.

The IIIT-H, in a statement, said, “The screening of the documentary has no link to IIIT-H officially in any way. Since no official permission was taken for this, nor were any of the required protocols followed, the institute promptly cancelled the screening as soon as it was made aware of such an unauthorised event. The institute has made it clear that no public or private screening of the film will be permitted in any institute space, including classrooms, laboratories or offices.”

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IIIT Hyderabad reiterated that the proposed screening was not an institute-organised or authorised event, as had been erroneously reported in some instances. Neither the institute nor any of its recognised student clubs, cells or bodies were involved in any way with the proposed screening. No permission for the film screening had been obtained from the competent authorities, the statement said.

IIIT Hyderabad has no association with the proposed screening, which was not an institute-organised or authorised event and does not represent the views or position of the institute.