Rohith Vemula Caste Status Remains Undetermined Following Closure Report

Police have filed a closure report before a local court in its probe into the death of Rohith Vemula, a student of University of Hyderabad, claiming he was not a Dalit and died by suicide as he feared that his real identity would be discovered.The police gave a clean chit to the accused and cited lack of evidence in the case.The then UoH vice-chancellor Appa Rao Podile, incumbent Haryana Governor Bandaru Dattatreya, who was MP then, former BJP MLC N Ramachander Rao, along with some ABVP leaders, were among the accused in the case.

Police have filed a closure report before a local court in its probe into the death of Rohith Vemula, a student of University of Hyderabad, claiming he was not a Dalit and died by suicide as he feared that his ''real identity'' would be discovered.

The police gave a clean chit to the accused and cited lack of evidence in the case.

The then UoH vice-chancellor Appa Rao Podile, incumbent Haryana Governor Bandaru Dattatreya, who was MP then, former BJP MLC N Ramachander Rao, along with some ABVP leaders, were among the accused in the case. Vemula's death snowballed into a political controversy with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi taking on the Central government in Parliament and the then Union HRD Minister Smriti Irani slamming alleged attempts to project it as a caste battle. The Cyberabad police that investigated the case informed the court that Rohith Vemula did not belong to Scheduled Caste and that he was aware of it.

Vemula died by suicide in 2016. ''The deceased had multiple issues worrying him which could have driven him to commit suicide,'' the report said.

''In addition to this, the deceased himself was aware that he did not belong to Scheduled Caste and that his mother got him a SC certificate. This could be one of the constant fears as the exposure of the same would result in a loss of his academic degrees that he earned over the years and be compelled to face prosecution.'' Further, the report said, ''Despite best efforts, no evidence could be found to establish that the actions of the accused have driven the deceased to commit suicide.'' The Congress had then attacked Smriti Irani, Bandaru Dattatreya and other BJP and ABVP functionaries in connection with the suicide of Rohith Vemula and over alleged discrimination against students from marginalised sections in universities.

When contacted, Rohith Vemula's brother Raja Vemula declined to comment. Meanwhile, a group of students protested at the University of Hyderabad who raised slogans against BJP, Smriti Irani and former UoH Vice-Chancellor Appa Rao.

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