Hyderabad, May 21 -- The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has taken suo motu cognizance of the arbitrary arrest and detention of five environmental activists who were protesting against tree felling near the Kasu Brahmananda Reddy (KBR) National Park in Hyderabad, warning that the incident, if confirmed, amounts to a serious violation of human rights.

The commission on Wednesday, May 21, issued notices to the Telangana Director General of Police and the Hyderabad District Collector, directing them to conduct a thorough inquiry and submit a comprehensive report within two weeks.

What happened on May 13

The NHRC acted on media reports describing how activists from the Save KBR campaign gathered in the early hours of May 13 to peac...