NHRC seeks report from DGP, Collector on arrest and detention of activists

The arrest and detention of five persons over a week ago, for stopping the tree felling near the Kasu Brahmananda Reddy (KBR) National Park in Hyderabad, has attracted the attention of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC).

The Commission has taken suo motu cognizance of a media report about the incident and issued notices to the Telangana Director General of Police (DGP) and Hyderabad district Collector, asking them to file a detailed report in two weeks’ time.

On the intervening night between May 12 & May 13, 2026, a person, R. Durga Prasad, was detained by the police, when he was returning home after being part of a group effort to stop tree felling near the park. Along with several others, he formed a human chain around the tree being felled, and prevented the workers from hacking it.

Four more persons who went to the police station, after learning about his detention, were detained too, and cases were slapped against them under various sections of BNS for wrongful restraint, aggravated mischief causing damage to property, and criminal intimidation. They were let off towards the evening after obtaining station bail. The Commission has observed that the contents of the news report raises serious issues of violation of human rights.