Tragedy struck at the campus of University of Hyderabad (UoH) on Sunday evening when Rohith Vemula, one of those five dalit scholars who were expelled in December had committed suicide by hanging himself inside a hostel.
The suicide has resulted in massive protests, with hundreds of agitated students resorting to violence as the ambulance arrived to take his body for post-mortem. The students are now seeking the immediate resignation of its vice-chancellor.
Rohith, 25, who is a resident of Guntur, was pursuing his PhD in the department of Sociology for last two years before he was reportedly involved in a tiff with ABVP last year. The administration also barred the scholars' entry into the hostels, libraries, administrative building, mess and other common areas, which led to massive protests by students under the banner of Joint Action Committee for Social Justice.
Due to the tense situation, special police pickets are now in place at the university campus and entry of unauthorised people into the campus is also being prohibited. The government of Telangana has been fearing more violence and as of now, sources say that Section 144 has been imposed in the university campus!
