The Indian military detained thousands of people during the operation, including Razakars, Hindu militants, and communists.
This was largely done on the basis of local informants, who used this opportunity to settle scores.
The estimated number of people detained was close to 18,000, which resulted in overcrowded jails and a paralyzed criminal system.

The Indian government set up Special Tribunals to prosecute these.
These strongly resembled the colonial governments earlier, and there were many legal irregularities, including denial or inability to access lawyers and delayed trials - about which the Red Cross was pressuring Nehru.

The viewpoint of the government was: "in political physics, Razakar action and Hindu reaction have been almost equal and opposite."
A quiet decision was taken to release all Hindus and for a review of all Muslim cases, aiming to let many of them out.
Regarding atrocities by Muslims, Nehru was sympathetic to Hyderabadi culture, and considered the actions during the operation as "madness" seizing "decent people", analogous to experience elsewhere during the partition of India.
Nehru was also concerned that disenfranchised Muslims would join the communists.
Patel opposed this viewpoint, treating the penal action as restoring law and order, and signaling that there was no partiality towards Muslims.

The government was under pressure to not prosecute participants in communal violence, which often made communal relations worse.
Patel had also died in 1950.
Thus, by 1953 the Indian government released all but a few persons.
The Indian military detained thousands of people during the operation, including Razakars, Hindu militants, and communists. This was largely done on the basis of local informants, who used this opportunity to settle scores. The estimated number of people detained was close to 18,000, which resulted in overcrowded jails and a paralyzed criminal system.
The Indian government set up Special Tribunals to prosecute these. These strongly resembled the colonial governments earlier, and there were many legal irregularities, including denial or inability to access lawyers and delayed trials - about which the Red Cross was pressuring Nehru.
The viewpoint of the government was: "in political physics, Razakar action and Hindu reaction have been almost equal and opposite." A quiet decision was taken to release all Hindus and for a review of all Muslim cases, aiming to let many of them out. Regarding atrocities by Muslims, Nehru was sympathetic to Hyderabadi culture, and considered the actions during the operation as "madness" seizing "decent people", analogous to experience elsewhere during the partition of India. Nehru was also concerned that disenfranchised Muslims would join the communists. Patel opposed this viewpoint, treating the penal action as restoring law and order, and signaling that there was no partiality towards Muslims.
The government was under pressure to not prosecute participants in communal violence, which often made communal relations worse. Patel had also died in 1950. Thus, by 1953 the Indian government released all but a few persons.
Annexation of Hyderabad