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Revanth assures fresh probe into Vemula case
On Friday, the police submitted closure report claiming that Rohith Vemula had died by suicide fearing that his ’real caste’ would be discovered
The family of University of Hyderabad doctoral student Rohith Vemula, whose suicide in 2016 sparked a nationwide movement on caste discrimination, met Telangana chief minister A Revanth Reddy on Saturday seeking “justice,” a day after the state police filed a closure report in the case clearing a host of accused. The CM assured them of a reinvestigation in the case, an official statement said, as the controversy over the police report continued.
In its 60-page closure report submitted to the high court, the police said that Vemula died because he was “feeling frustrated” and over constant fears that his real caste identity would be discovered. The police also cleared the accused—ranging from then vice-chancellor Appa Rao Podile, then Secunderabad MP Bandaru Dattatreya, university administration, and leaders from the Bharatiya Janata Party and Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad—of all charges, citing a lack of evidence.
“My son belongs to SC [Scheduled Caste community]. I am a Dalit. How can the police say that my son is not SC? Police don’t inquire about caste, it is not their job. That is a false campaign,” the deceased student’s mother, Radhika Vemula, said.
She also rejected the police version that Vemula died by suicide because he could not study properly. “The fight will continue until Rohith Vemula gets justice. It is not correct for the police to claim that Rohith committed suicide because he could not study properly. He was good at his studies. He passed all competitive exams held at the national level,” she said.
Radhika said Reddy assured them of a fair probe into the case. “What we want is a fair inquiry, the inquiry so far has been defective,” she said.
Vemula’s brother, Raja Vemula, who met the CM along with his mother, said the family did not accept the police report.
“We have opposed the closure report submitted by the police. We also raised concerns regarding the issues they have mentioned in the report,” he said.
An official statement said that Reddy assured Vemula’s family that a reinvestigation would be conducted in the case and they would get justice.
“Reddy assured her that an investigation would be conducted again into the University of Hyderabad student’s suicide in 2016 and that justice would be done,” the release said.
PhD student Vemula’s suicide in January 2016 at the University of Hyderbad campus sparked a nationwide movement on caste discrimination in educational institutions, especially after his fellow students alleged that he battled months of caste bias by university administration. His last letter, which spoke of the “accident” of his birth and his dreams, helped kindle a pan-Indian conversation against pernicious casteism and the ecosystem that incubates discrimination. On Friday night, the state director general of police issued a statement, saying that the final report in the case was prepared in 2018 and since Vemula’s family has expressed doubts over the probe, they have decided to conduct further investigation.
The political row over the closure report continued on Saturday, with the Opposition accusing the Congress government of opportunism. “Telangana Govt closing the Rohit Vemula case exemplifies ultimate opportunism and peak hypocrisy. Once @INCIndia promised a special law in the name of Rohit, but now in power, @TelanganaCMO brazenly betrays that pledge. @revanth_anumula’s double standards are exposed again,” BRS spokesperson Dasoju Sravan said in a post on X
