HYDERABAD: As tension gripped the University of Hyderabad (UoH) campus, following the suicide of Rohith Vemula, top officials of the university, including the vice-chancellor have vacated their residential quarters for security reasons and moved out of the campus with their family members.
Vice-chancellor Prof P Appa Rao, Dean of students welfare (DSW) Prof P Prakash Babu and chief proctor Prof Alok Pande have left the campus, soon after the news of Rohith’s suicide broke out on Sunday evening.
They were following the suggestions of DCP of Madhapur, who asked them to leave the campus immediately. Since, two of them have been accused of expelling five Dalit scholars including, Rohith, the DCP also advised them not to return to the campus until the police gives them consent.
An official from the UoH administration said this is the reason behind absence of all top officials on the campus, when politicians, civil right activists continue to visit the family of Rohith and console them. The VC has come under attack for not meeting the family members of Rohith who were there on the campus.
Several of the administrative staff including one of the deputy registrars, who went to NRS hostel on Sunday was manhandled by the angry students. A BJP leader, who tried to enter the university campus on Tuesday night to meet the protesting students, had to face a similar fate when students vandalised his car and blocked him at the very entrance of the campus.
As the atmosphere on the campus remained tensed, the VC, DSW and Chief Proctor are expected to stay away for few more days. ABVP leaders including, Susheel who is one of the accused in the FIR registered at Gachibowli police station, have also left the campus on Sunday.