Published Aug 16, 2026 | 11:38 AM ⚊ Updated Aug 16, 2026 | 12:00 PM
Synopsis: Four NSUI students were hospitalised, and seven ABVP cadres were sent to judicial custody after violence at EFLU’s Basheer Hostel. The clash followed a protest over women’s hostel issues, with both groups accusing each other of launching the attack. Two cross-FIRs were registered, while NSUI has alleged that the attack was planned and ABVP is calling it self-defence.
Seven ABVP members have been sent to judicial custody after being arrested for allegedly assaulting NSUI cadres at the English and Foreign Languages University (EFLU) in Hyderabad in the early hours of August 14. Four NSUI cadres were hospitalised after the attack, while the ABVP alleged that the Congress-backed organisation launched the assault first.
The attack followed a protest on 13 August over issues at the Mahalaqa Bai Chanda Women’s Hostel. Two FIRs were registered at the Osmania University Police Station on August 14, one on a complaint from the NSUI side at 9.30 am and the second on a complaint from an ABVP student at 10 am.
According to the NSUI’s complaint, ABVP workers hurled casteist slurs at a Students’ Union Councillor while also attacking the Union Vice President. The NSUI cadres said that the ABVP workers attacked its students with rods, bamboo sticks and beer bottles, causing serious injuries. The ABVP meanwhile has accused a group of NSUI members of entering the men’s hostel with rods and bats and launching the attack first, and described its assault as self-defence.
The assault was triggered at a protest raising student concerns over the Mahalaqa Bai Chanda Women’s Hostel, including room allocation and hostel facilities.
The protest was reportedly organised by the ABVP outside the women’s hostel, with around 150 to 200 students gathering and was later joined by the Students’ Union. According to ABVP EFLU leader Sumit Patel, the protest continued late into the night, even as the provost and warden came out and spoke to the students but failed to provide “satisfactory” answers.
During the agitation, an ABVP cadre slapped Union Vice-President, Sonu Raj, who is associated with the NSUI, said a leader of the outfit.
Speaking to South First, the NSUI leader also alleged that ABVP cadres used casteist slur against Rishit Naik, a Student Councillor from the Arab and Asian Studies department.
“So regarding that, they went to file a police complaint,” she said.
Meanwhile, ABVP described it as a minor altercation that ended quickly.
As the protest continued into the night, students gradually left the women’s hostel site to sleep. According to the NSUI leader, most students eventually returned to Basheer Men’s Hostel.
According to her, the NSUI members were holding a meeting in one of the hostel rooms when ABVP cadres came carrying iron rods, bamboo sticks, beer bottles, belts and other objects and attacked the students.
The NSUI’s police complaint alleges that its workers, including Harsh Tamrakar, Sohil Yadav and Prashanth Singh were brutally assaulted during the attack. Tamrakar was hit with a beer bottle on his head and neck, Sohil Yadav was assaulted with an iron rod and had a mirror allegedly broken on his face, while Prashanth Singh was beaten with bamboo sticks.
When the students tried to escape by hiding in rooms and bathrooms, they were allegedly dragged out and attacked by the ABVP workers.
“They started finding each one of them and started beating them again,” the complaint stated.
The attackers also damaged the mobile phones and other personal belongings of the NSUI workers.
According to the NSUI leader, the hostel warden, who is also the deputy proctor, was present during part of the incident and allegedly failed to intervene when students sought refuge inside the hostel. This allegation has not been independently established.
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The ABVP has claimed that the attack was in self defence and accused a group of NSUI workers of assaulting its cadres.
According to Sumit Patel, the attack on NSUI workers happened after ABVP members at the protest site were alerted by students at the Basheer Hostel that approximately 10 NSUI members had entrered the building, allegedly carrying rods and a bat and attacked those who participated in the protest, including Rishabh Kumar and Pranav Pathak.
“Actually, it was a reaction to an action,” he alleged. “If they had not gone at night and beaten our people, none of this would have happened,” he added.
According to a police complaint filed by Rishabh Kumar, a group of “more than 20 people” had allegedly entered his room while he was sleeping, between 3 am and 4 am, and beat him with a belt and a 20 mm iron rod. The complaint says he lost consciousness and was later shifted to CC Shroff Hospital. It also alleged that Kumar was threatened with being forced to leave the campus.
The complaint named 15 people, including NSUI EFLU President Ashish Kumar Yadav and Sonu Raj.
Meanwhile patel alleged that some of the “attackers” were intoxicated and that people from outside the university were involved. He also alleged that the police response was politically influenced, claiming that NSUI members received preferential treatment.
Congress leader Vamsi Chand Reddy has visited the injured students at C.C. Shroff Memorial Hospital and condemned the attack on NSUI student leaders. He called for an impartial investigation, highlighting allegations of casteist abuse.
(Edited by Fayisa CA)
