Judicial commission formed, 4 teachers go on hunger strike against V-C

Former Allahabad high court judge Ashok Kumar Roopanwal on Thursday was appointed by the Centre to investigate the circumstances that led to the suicide of Dalit scholar Rohith Vemula.

Former Allahabad high court judge Ashok Kumar Roopanwal on Thursday was appointed by the Centre to investigate the circumstances that led to the suicide of Dalit scholar Rohith Vemula.

Student holds a banner and a photograph of Rohith Vemula, as he sits with others during a hunger strike to demand justice in Hyderabad. (AP)

According to a senior HRD official, Roopanwal will review the entire sequence of events and the circumstances, and establish facts and correctives in connection with the incident at the University of Hyderabad. The one-man judicial commission will submit its report within three months.

Meanwhile, interim vice-chancellor Vipin Srivastava said he was hopeful that normalcy would be restored on the varsity campus in the coming days, claiming that the protesting students have agreed to allow research activity in the life sciences department to resume from Friday.

The agreement was reportedly reached after the deans held talks with the leaders of the Joint Action Committee (JAC) of agitating student groups.

Srivastava said the university would hold classes on Saturdays and the semester would also be extended to make up for the days lost due to the strike.

Even as Srivastava expressed hopes of an early resolution to the ongoing crisis, four teachers from two universities in the city launched a relay hunger strike on Thursday demanding his resignation. Three of the teachers are from the University of Hyderabad while the other is from the Osmania University.

Srivastava, who headed the committee which suspended the five Dalit students, including Rohith, has defended the action taken and dismissed demands for his resignation.