HCU suicide: Students vandalise office after VC Appa Rao resumes work

Appa Rao went on leave on January 24 following protests over suicide of Dalit scholar Rohith Vemula on the campus.

University of Hyderabad vice-chancellor Professor Appa Rao Podile, who is in the dock for the suicide of research scholar Rohith Vemula, resumed office on Tuesday morning.

According to University of Hyderabad registrar's office, Appa Rao, who went on indefinite leave in last week of January, will address a press conference this afternoon.

Appa Rao went on leave on January 24 following protests over suicide of Dalit scholar Rohith Vemula on the campus.

26-year-old Dalit research scholar Rohith Vemula who hanged himself in Hyderabad Central University campus in January, was suspended from his hostel by the HCU administration in August last year for allegedly attacking an ABVP leader.

In August 2015, Bandaru Dattatreya had written to Smriti Irani alleging that Hyderabad University had become ‘a den of casteist, extremist and anti-national politics.’ He cited the attack on ABVP leader and stated that the university administration had turned into ‘a mute spectator to such events.’

Students of the university alleged that Dattatreya's letter sought action against research scholars including Vemula.Earlier, Prof. Appa Rao had said that he is going on leave to facilitate talks with the protesting students.

“I cannot say at this moment how many days I will be on leave. I have decided to be on leave till normalcy is restored. I have been in touch with the faculty and likeminded organisations to enable talks,” Prof. Appa Rao had said.

Dattatreya, Appa Rao and two others were booked for ‘abetting’ the suicide of Dalit research scholar who was banned from the university’s hostel.