On 23 June, the Kerala High Court ruled that police cannot knock on the doors of suspects at night, affirming that such actions infringe upon the right to privacy and personal liberty.
Published Jul 03, 2025 | 4:55 PM ⚊ Updated Jul 03, 2025 | 4:55 PM
Hyderabad and Rachakonda Police undertake Cordon and Search operation in the city
Synopsis: The police under the Hyderabad and Rachakonda Commissionerates conducted a cordon and search operation across various areas in the city recently. Residents expressed mixed responses to the operation while rights activists questioned its legality.
As dusk settled over Vinayak Nagar Colony on 19 June, hundreds of residents found themselves startled by sudden knocks at their doors. Police personnel, some accompanied by a dog squad, were conducting a cordon and search operation — checking ID cards, verifying vehicle documents, and seizing anything deemed suspicious or undocumented.
A similar scene played out the next day, 20 June, in Paramount Colony under Hyderabad Commissionerate, where 250 officers descended on the area before dawn. While authorities hailed these operations as part of a “Community Contact Programme,” many locals described them as intrusive and stressful.
Amid this growing debate, a significant development from Kerala has added new weight to the conversation. On 23 June, the Kerala High Court ruled that police cannot knock on the doors of suspects at night, affirming that such actions infringe upon the right to privacy and personal liberty.
The ruling not only raised questions about the legality of night-time raids, but also spotlighted long-standing concerns in cities like Hyderabad, where police searches often begin after dark.
In the wake of the court’s decision, the recent raids in Vinayak Nagar and Paramount Colony are once again prompting questions: How far can “community policing” go before it starts to feel like surveillance?
In a major effort said to enhance public safety and tackle illegal activities, two large-scale cordon and search operations were conducted in Hyderabad and Rachakonda Commissionerates this week under the Community Contact Programme.
In Paramount Colony under the Tolichowki Police Station limits, the Hyderabad City Police carried out an early morning operation on 20 June between 5 am and 8 am. Over 250 personnel, including DCPs Chandramohan (South & West Zones), Additional DCP Iqbal Siddiqui, and ACPs Sudarshan, Syed Fayaz, Vijay Srinivas, and Mohammed Munawar, searched more than 300 houses.
The drive, supervised by Hyderabad Commissioner CV Anand, led to the seizure of 28 undocumented two-wheelers, two cars, and an auto. Police also recovered illegally stored domestic gas cylinders.
Notably, 28 African nationals were taken for passport verification, with 16 found to be staying on expired visas. Police stated that legal action would be taken, and details would be forwarded to the Ministry of External Affairs.
A similar operation was held in Vinayak Nagar Colony under the Neredmet Police Station limits of Rachakonda Commissionerate on 19 June from 6 pm to 8.30 pm.
The drive, led by DCP Malkajgiri Padmaja Reddy, involved 140 personnel, including the AR team, traffic wing, and a dog squad. Checks were conducted in around 600 houses, leading to the seizure of 41 undocumented two-wheelers, 10 vehicles with missing number plates, and 20 litres of illegal liquor.
“What is a cordon and search?” a shopkeeper asked. “It is done to make sure that there are no illegal things or people in an area. In the large picture, are we not benefiting from it?” he continued. The resident of Vinayak Nagar Colony held that one need not be worried about a police check as long as they are doing everything legally.
“The most they will do is take something of yours away if you can’t find the proper documentation. All you have to do is take it back after showing proof of its legality,” he continued.
While he seemed to view the activity as beneficial to the community, he, like a lot of the locals who spoke to South First in Vinayak Nagar, chose to maintain anonymity.
“They came to our house at about 10 pm that night,” a resident on street 24 claimed. “They came in asking to see our Aadhaar cards, took our contact numbers, and also asked to see the legal documents regarding the family’s two-wheeler,” she explained.
“They checked almost every household in the area. A lot of them showed up asking to see registration or documentation for things like vehicles and gas cylinders. Did it cause any inconvenience? Not really, the entire colony was up at that time thanks to the search,” she quipped.
“We know they came to our houses. We know they took some things away. However, nobody knows whose belongings were seized, and those who had something taken away don’t want to talk about it,” an elderly man sitting at the street corner described to South First.
“There are almost 1,000 houses in and around this area; they reportedly took 50 vehicles, and from what I hear, they were also able to get them back,” he added. He and his wife also had to present documentation to show that they were legitimate residents of the area on the night of 19 June.
People spoke in hushed tones in Tolichowki’s Paramount Colony also. “They came and checked our identitiese. From what I heard, they seized a few bikes and some items and also took some foreigners to check their documents’ validity,” a local present during the search on 20 June told South First.
“I work in this local delivery warehouse, delivering goods on my two-wheeler,” a youngster explained. “I don’t even live in this area, and I come here to work from a few kilometres away. However, the police still carried my bike away, citing a lack of documents,” he explained his frustration.
“The hassle of having to dig out the papers, heading to the police station, and proving it’s legal aside, it cost me a day’s work,” he noted.
“Four years ago, we were met with a similar silence,” SQ Masood, a Hyderabadi activist, recounted, speaking to South First. “When the police come on their searches, they do not just verify and leave, they also gather details. This makes it an extremely stressful challenge for the locals to speak to anyone,” he explained.
Masood has raised the issue of police cordon and searches for more than a few years now, even taking the police to the Telangana High Court regarding the same.
Deeming the entire incident illegal, he also criticised the hypocrisy in the Hyderabad Police’s efforts to brand it as ‘community outreach.’
“Seeing this issue growing four years ago, we formed a fact-finding team to gather people’s experiences in the Chandraiah, Hanumanthu, and Narsaiah huts. I even wrote to the Hyderabad Commissioner asking him the SOP (Standard Operating Procedure) for cordon and search,” he revealed.
In the rebuttal from the Commissioner, which South First accessed, he stated that the forces would ensure “human dignity” while undertaking the operation and adhere to proper protocol for the same.
It is important to note that the operation on 20 June took place during the morning hours in Hyderabad. However, the operation earlier by the Rachakinda Police took place at night.
Speaking to South First, Neredmet Police Station Station House Officer (SHO) G Mallesh held that the operation saw support from the locals. “They were supportive of the initiative. Even if we seized some things, we returned them when the owners showed up with the documents,” he added. However, he did not wish to comment on the timing of the operation.
“The cordon and search issue has been a recurring one with the Hyderabad Police,” High Court advocate Srikanth Chintala explained. “Unless it’s a law and order situation or in a public place, they cannot just randomly show up at a person’s place like that,” he continued.
He also held that the police approaching citizens with suspicion at odd hours without notice is an infringement of their Right to Life. “They can undertake searches in public areas, like at traffic stops. However, the Police are precluded from doing this, as it is a direct infringement of one’s Right to Life,” he held
“It is illegal for them to go whenever they want,” he posited. “Furthermore, the citizens also have a right to refuse. Unless the police arrive with a warrant, the citizens can refuse entry to the cops. However, due to a lack of awareness and the general image of the police, most citizens comply no matter what,” he noted.
“Of course it’s profiling, can they go to Jubilee Hills and conduct these searches. They believe that the well-off communities cannot commit crimes,” he lamented, adding that they mostly visit slums during these operations.
Furthermore, reacting to the seizure of various two-wheelers and gas cylinders, he said: “This is unknown to criminal laws or civil laws and cannot be permitted.”
(Edited by Muhammed Fazil.)
