Rohith Vemula suicide: After closing case, police order more probe
What's the story
Telangana Director General of Police (DGP) Ravi Gupta has ordered further investigation into the Rohith Vemula suicide case, just hours after Telangana Police filed a closure report. The report suggested that Vemula committed suicide out of fear of his true caste being revealed, as he identified himself as a Scheduled Caste. Vemula, a PhD scholar at Hyderabad University, died by suicide in January 2016. He left behind a poignant note saying how he felt his "birth was his fatal accident."
Acquittal details
Accused parties absolved in Vemula's case
DGP Gupta revealed that he is ordering further investigation after some doubts were expressed by Vemula's mother, brother, and others about the investigation conducted. A petition will be filed with the court concerned, requesting the Honorable Magistrate to permit further investigation into the case, he added. Chief Minister Revanth Reddy will also hold a closed-door meeting with Vemula's mother and brother, as well as student leaders and teachers involved in the 2016 'Justice for Rohith Vemula' campaign on Saturday.
Report
Closure report cleared several accused parties
The closure report, signed by Assistant Commissioner of Police CH Sreekanth, cleared several accused parties, including then Vice-Chancellor Appa Rao Podile, then Secunderabad MP Bandaru Dattatreya, university administration, and leaders from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad. The acquittal was due to insufficient evidence linking their actions to Vemula's suicide. The final report in the case was filed in 2018 and submitted to the jurisdictional court on March 21.
Note
Deceased aware he does not belong to SC: Closure report
"The deceased himself is aware that he does not belong to scheduled caste and his mother got him SC certificate. This could be one of the constant fears as the exposure...would put him to loss of his academic degrees that he earned over the years and be compelled to face prosecution," said the report. "Despite best efforts, no evidence could be found to establish that the actions of the accused have driven the deceased to commit suicide," it added.
Public reaction
Nationwide outcry and family's response to Vemula's case
Vemula's suicide in 2016 ignited a nationwide outcry against caste discrimination in educational institutions, following claims that he had endured prolonged caste bias from the university administration. His final letter discussing his birth "accident" and aspirations triggered a nationwide dialogue against casteism. Vemula's brother, Raja, expressed dissatisfaction with the police focusing on their caste instead of probing the circumstances leading to his brother's death.