Rohith Vemula Suicide: Hyderabad University Vice Chancellor Goes On Leave

Hyderabad: Facing protests over the suicide of Dalit scholar Rohith Vemula, Hyderabad Central University Vice Chancellor Appa Rao Podile has gone on an indefinite leave, the university said today.

Students have been protesting for days against Mr Podile, who was also named in a police complaint into the suicide.
 Rohith Vemula hung himself on January 13, two weeks after he and four other students were suspended and banned from the hostel, the cafeteria and other common areas for allegedly beating an activist of a rival student union in August.

On Thursday, the university revoked the suspension of Rohith's comrades, hours after 15 Dalit teachers resigned accusing Union Education Minister Smriti Irani of distorting the facts related to the suicide. Ms Irani had alleged a misrepresentation of facts and proclaimed that the tragedy had nothing to do with a caste battle.