12 Osmania University students held for 'organising' beef fest

Hyderabad: At least 12 students were arrested from their hostel rooms on Osmania University campus for allegedly organising a "beef festival" in defiance of a court order asking for a status quo on holding either beef or pork festival, police said here on Friday.

The students were arrested last night, a senior police official said, adding that, "We have arrested them under contempt of court case".

The students were being produced in the court today.

Meanwhile, the situation on the OU is normal today against the backdrop of a mild tension yesterday.

A students' group had declared that it would hold a 'beef festival' on the campus on December 10, coinciding with the World Human Rights Day, while another group also announced its plan to organise a 'pork festival' the same day, which had raised the possibility of confrontation.

Police had yesterday said to have foiled a bid by students to organise the beef festival even as some students claimed that they held the event inside their hostel rooms.

Police had also rounded up over 100 persons who came in different groups and tried to barge into the campus either opposing or supporting the beef festival, amid a mild tension in and around OU.

A city civil court had passed the status quo order on the 'beef festival' three days back, which amounts to staying the holding of the festivals, on a petition filed by an advocate. The petition contended that these events are in violation of Cruelty Towards Animal Act and Cow Slaughter Act, and hurt the religious sentiments of the people.

The High Court on Wednesday upheld the order of the city civil court.

Shankar, one of the organisers, had yesterday said that all the students "celebrated" the festival in their hostel rooms as the police did not allow them to come out.

Some pictures showing the students eating beef were circulated in social media but it was not known whether they consumed beef yesterday.