Hyderabad varsity announces Rs 8 lakh ex-gratia to Rohith Vemula’s kin

The Hyderabad Central University (HCU) on Friday announced an ex-gratia of Rs eight lakh to the family of Rohith Vemula, a Dalit research scholar who committed suicide

The Hyderabad Central University (HCU) on Friday announced an ex-gratia of Rs eight lakh to the family of Rohith Vemula, a Dalit research scholar who committed suicide.

The university administration on Friday announced an ex-gratia of Rs eight lakh for Rohit Vemula’s family. (PTI)

The announcement came a day after the university authorities revoked the suspension of four students against whom the action had been taken along with Rohith for allegedly assaulting an ABVP leader in August last year.

“The University of Hyderabad has announced an ex-gratia of Rs eight lakh to the bereaved family of Rohith Vemula Chakravarti,” HCU said on its website.

The agitating students had on Thursday outrightly rejected the withdrawal of suspension against the four research scholars, terming the HCU decision as an “illegitimate circular”. “At a time when the legitimacy of Prof Appa Rao to continue as the vice-chancellor is in question, without attending to the protesting students, who are on indefinite hunger strike, the absconding VC and executive committee met on Friday (not inside the campus) and issued a circular.

“We outrightly reject this illegitimate circular since it came through a committee headed by the VC, who in our opinion is not the legitimate VC anymore,” the Joint Action Committee for Social Justice had alleged on Thursday.

Rohith’s body was found hanging at one of the hostel rooms on the University of Hyderabad campus on Sunday. A group of seven students, who have been on indefinite hunger stike for the past three days, said the protests would continue till their demands -- removal of vice-chancellor Professor Appa Rao Podile, Rs 50 lakh compensation to Rohith’s family, employment to one of his family members, “unconditional” revocation of suspension of the four research scholars and withdrawal of “false cases” booked against them in connection the alleged assault on ABVP leader Susheel Kumar are met.