Varsity claims it was lenient

Expressing sadness and sympathies over the suicide of dalit research scholar Vemula Rohit, University of Hyderabad (UoH) on Monday explained it was lenient in suspending the five dalit students from the hostel.

In a statement, UoH said it had to abide by a court decision asking it to suspend the students in accordance with its Proctorial Board decision and it did not suspend them from the academic programme.

The varsity’s Proctorial Board submitted a report asking for the suspension of the five students after an alleged attack by the Ambedkar Students Association (ABA) of an Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) functionary Susheel Kumar last August.

ASA students alleged lapses in the Proctorial Board decision and the then VC Prof R P Sharma revoked the suspension after a dean and heads meeting pending review by the newly formed Prof Sudhakar Reddy’s committee, the statement said. “(Prof Reddy) committee members expressed their lack of power to review a decision by a statutory body like the Proctorial board and further suggested that Prof Sharma convene an Executive Council meeting to look into the same,” the UoH said.

Meanwhile, Susheel’s mother took the issue to the court that asked UoH to implement the Proctorial Board decision before filing a counter.