India: Police in Hyderabad ban gatherings amid nationwide protests December 2

Event

The Hyderabad Commissioner of Police announced that a police order is in place as of Tuesday, December 3, banning public meetings of five or more people, processions, or other such gatherings within a three kilometer (2 mi) perimeter of the Telangana Secretariat building until Sunday, February 2, 2020. The order is in place as of 06:00 (local time) on Tuesday. This follows widespread protests in Telangana state and throughout India demanding the death penalty for four men accused of the rape and murder of a woman whose body was found on November 27, near Hyderabad. The four men are being held in Cherlapally jail in Hyderabad.

The leader of the Delhi Commission For Women is planning to begin an indefinite hunger strike from 10:30 on Tuesday at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi, to demand the death penalty for rapists. It is possible that the protest action may attract large crowds and cause localized transportation disruptions. In Patna, an associated march is also expected to begin at 15:00 from Patna radio station.

A heightened security presence and localized transportation disruptions are expected near all protest sites and along all march routes. Similar protests are anticipated throughout the country in the coming days and weeks.

Context

On November 27, the charred body of a woman was found in Shadnagar. Police officials have said that they are working on the assumption that the victim was raped before being murdered. Several thousand people protested outside the police station in Shadnagar on November 30, where the four men accused of the crime were being held, to demand justice.

Advice

Individuals in India, and in Hyderabad in particular, are advised to closely monitor the situation, avoid all protests and large public gatherings due to potential violence, anticipate disruptions to transportation, and adhere to all instructions issued by the local authorities.