HYDERABAD: On Monday, the eve of the first death anniversary of Dalit research scholar Rohith Vemula, the Cyberabad police have little to show in terms of progress in the case registered under the SC & ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act in the aftermath of his suicide. The police says that they are still awaiting an official communication from Guntur revenue officials on whether Vemula belonged to Other Backward Classes (OBC) -- going by his father's caste -- or if he belonged to the Scheduled Caste (SC) as claimed by his mother. However, Guntur district’s Gurajala Revenue Divisional Officer (RDO)
E Murali maintains that no request from the Telangana police has been received by officials there regarding Vemula’s caste identity. Cyberabad police maintain that delay in investigation is due to the "non-responsiveness" of the Andhra government. Whatever the truth, the reality is that the investigation has not proceeded.
The case was registered soon after Vemula's death against Union Minister Bandaru Dattatreya and University of Hyderabad vice-chancellor Podile Appa Rao, based on a complaint lodged by the students of UoH.
"We have written three letters to the Guntur collector and joint collector, requesting to give clarification on the caste of Rohith Vemula, but we got no reply. Madhapur ACP and Gachibowli inspector also wrote letters in this matter," Cyberabad police commissioner Sandeep Shandilya told Express.
Further, the police have not questioned the minister and the three others, who are alleged to be responsible for suicide of the research scholar. The commissioner said that police could only probe if they received the letter of confirmation about Rohit's caste, as there has been a lot of controversy on the matter.
Meanwhile, speaking to Express, Murali refused to divulge details of the report which was prepared after the inquiry post Vemula’s death. However, it is learnt that a fresh report on Vemula's caste is being prepared and will be sent to the Guntur district collector Kantilal Dande and the the same would be forwarded to the Centre. The Collector was not available for a comment. It is learnt that the fresh report indicates that Vemula is a Vaddera, a caste that comes under the OBC category.
As the case was filed under the SC & ST Act, the matter of Vemula's caste has become pivotal to the investigation, even as his mother and brother maintain that they lived as Dalits. The National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC), after receiving a report from Guntur district administration, has earlier in August 2016 ruled that Rohith Vemula was a Dalit. It has also directed the state government to extend all benefits to the bereaved family as per rules. NCSC Chairman Punia had confirmed receipt of a detailed report from the Guntur district administration which led to the conclusion that Vemula was indeed Dalit. The same report was then submitted to the Centre.
However, Vemula was reportedly declared an OBC by a one-man judicial committee headed by former Allahabad high court judge Justice A K Roopanwal formed by the Ministry of Human Resource Development to look into the case. The committee reportedly was of the view that Vemula's mother, Radhika, might have gotten the SC caste certificate to claim the benefits of reservation.