Guntur Collector’s report says that the research scholar belonged to the Mala caste
Hyderabad: Rohith Vemula, the 26-year-old research scholar who committed suicide in the University of Hyderabad (UoH) on January 17 this year, belonged to the Scheduled Caste community, states a report which Guntur District Collector Kantilal Dande submitted to the National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC).
The report in its operative part reads: “As per the available documentary evidence with the Tahsildar Guntur, Sri. Rohith Chakravarthy Vemula belongs to Hindu Mala caste, which is classified as Scheduled Caste in Andhra Pradesh and his family comes under Below Poverty Line. The statements recorded from the grandmother of Sri Rohith Chakravarthy Vemula and others are also enclosed herein for favour of information.”
Further action
Advocate S Gunratan, who represents Rohith’s family, told The Hindu that as per legal provisions, his identity cannot be challenged by a third party posthumously. The inquiry report, based on interviews and fact-finding in April 2016, is also marked to C.V. Anand, Commissioner of Police, Cyberabad, apart from the NCSC.
The NCSC will examine the report this month. Once the report is ratified, it can be used to take further action under the Prevention of SC/ST Atrocities Act, slapped on five persons, including Vice-Chancellor P. Appa Rao and Union Minister Bandaru Dattatreya, according to Mr. Gunratan.