Rohith Vemula suicide: Acting Vice-Chancellor, top officers appear before panel

All three top Telangana officers and acting vice-chancellor of Hyderabad University appeared before the National Commission for Scheduled Castes Commission on Monday and submitted reports on action they have taken following the suicide of Rohith Vemula.

Days after National Commission for Scheduled Castes summoned officials in the case of suicide of Rohith Vemula, Chief Secretary of Telangana; officiating Vice-Chancellor of University of Hyderabad, Principal Secretary Social Welfare Department, Telangana; Police Commissioner of Cyberabad; Deputy Commissioner of Police and investigating officer in the case, all three top Telangana officers and the officiating vice-chancellor of Hyderabad Central University (HCU) appeared before the National Commission for Scheduled Castes Commission in Delhi on Monday and submitted reports on action they have taken following the suicide of PhD scholar Rohith Vemula.

Commission chairman P L Punia said the officers were told about the way they are conducting the investigation. “They have not taken the statement of Union Minister Bandaru Dattatreya, who was named in the FIR. They informed me that besides releasing Rs 1.77 lakh of Vemula’s pending scholarship, his family has also been given Rs 8 lakh as financial assistance and another Rs 2.58 lakh under SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act,” Punia said.
With the Guntur DM seeking 15 more days to submit report on Vemula’s caste, the next hearing has been scheduled for March 11.

Karnataka colleges to remain shut today
More than 40 student organisations have come together under the banner “Justice for Rohith Vemula” to call for a shut down of classes in universities and colleges across Karnataka on Tuesday. The call has been given by SFI, Ambedkar Students’ Association, the NSUI and several Dalit bodies. “More than 5,000 people will gather at Town Hall in Bengaluru and we will take out a procession to Freedom Park around 11.30 am,” said a student leader.