Rohith not a weak heart to kill self: ABVP leader

An Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) leader who is among those charged with abetting Rohith Vemula’s suicide said that the Dalit research scholar was not as weak-hearted as to kill himself.

“I know Rohith and respect him for his strong beliefs on varying issues, though we have different ideologies. He is not a weak heart to commit suicide. He single-handedly debated on several issues with us,” said University of Hyderabad’s ABVP leader N Susheel Kumar, also the accused number 3 in case.

Addressing the media on Thursday, the student leader, who said he was depressed and didn’t come out of his room for the first three days after hearing about Rohith’s death, rued that he was treated like a criminal by political leaders who accused him of abetting suicide.

“What about my rights. I was beaten and forced to write an apology letter by Rohith and the Ambedkar Students Association (ASA) activists. I was admitted to hospital, my mother was verbally abused by ASA members at the vice-chancellors office,” said Susheel.
Narrating the events on the midnight of August 2, Susheel said nearly 40 ASA students, including the five who were later suspended, barged into his hostel room and picked up a quarrel asking him to explain the poster he had uploaded on his Facebook page describing ASA members as goons.

‘They thrashed me’

“After a while, they took me out of the hostel and thrashed me till I agreed to write an apology letter. I lied that I need to talk to my committee members and ran back to the room for my mobile. But I called 100 instead,” he said.

He recalled that the attack continued even after the security guard put him into a jeep. “I was dragged out and was taken to the campus guard room where I was forced to upload the apology letter,” Susheel said, while showing a copy of the letter.  “Then I called my brother who took me to the hospital. The doctor’s report confirms that I vomited blood and there are scratches on my hands. My appendicitis was aggravated and I was operated,” he said, refuting allegations that he lied about the attack.

“I wonder why none of the ASA members who sat with Rohith at the Dalit Ghetto failed to notice his depression. I demand a comprehensive probe into his death. I demand that the culprits must be punished, if I have done anything wrong, they should punish me,” he added.