KBR Park tree felling protest: Volunteers allegedly detained, NHRC issues notices

Green volunteers protesting tree felling near KBR Park alleged they were wrongly detained and mistreated by Banjara Hills police. The incident drew NHRC attention, leading to notices. Police registered a case under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, while volunteers denied wrongdoing.

Hyderabad: Green volunteers protesting the indiscriminate felling of trees around KBR Park for construction of flyovers and underpasses alleged they were unnecessarily detained and treated badly by the police.

The Banjara Hills police had detained some of the Save KBR Park volunteers when they protested peacefully. The detention, which caught the attention of National Human Rights Commission, resulted in notices issued to the Telangana DGP and Hyderabad Collector.

---

One of the volunteers, R Durga Prasad, said they, around 30 volunteers, held a peaceful protest at the center median near the KBR Park junction. “After the protest, I was proceeding to my bike when patrolling police took me into custody and shifted me to Banjara Hills police station,” he recalled.

Durga Prasad said at the police station, a police officer asked him to sit on the floor, but he refused, saying, “I am not a criminal.” The police officer then snatched his phone and asked for the password. “After opening it, he had gone through WhatsApp messages,” he said.

The environmental activist said the police officer told him that, based on information from GHMC workers, he demanded money as extortion.

Another volunteer, Vijay Reddy, on learning about Durga Prasad’s detention, along with 10 other volunteers, including women, reached the police within an hour.

The five volunteers were released later, but Durga Prasad said the ‘treatment of the police during the detention period was very painful and he was treated harshly’.

Banjara Hills police registered a case in Crime No. 431/2026 U/s 126(2), 324(4), 351(2) r/w 3(5) BNS.