Hyderabad: Home minister Nayani Narasimha Reddy has pronounced Rohith Vemula a non-dalit, saying the deceased student belonged to the Vadera caste, but the Telangana police said the matter was still under investigation. Reddy made the statement during a discussion on the University of Hyderabad (UOH) in the Telangana assembly on Saturday. The UOH scholar's suicide led to a political storm with allegations that it was a result of discrimination against dalit students.
The Telangana police, which reports to Reddy, had approached Guntur district revenue authorities to ascertain Vemula's caste, and they say that complete information was still awaited.
Cyberabad police officials said that they have written to the Guntur collector seeking additional details.
"We received a report some time back. We have again written to the collector for further clarifications, which are awaited,'' a senior police officer said without elaborating on issues that need clarifications.
The Guntur town Tehsildar told TOI that the enquiry was still on, and they had not spoken to all family members. "Some family members live in Hyderabad. Since Hyderabad is in Telangana, we asked our collector's permission, which is awaited,'' Guntur tasildar B Rajani Kumari said. It was from Guntur Town Tasildar office from where Vemula obtained his caste certificate as Mala.
During an initial inquiry by the police and the Gurazada revenue division office, the caste was found to be Vadera. But since the late student had taken the caste certificate from the Guntur town Tehsildar, the police asked district revenue officials to give their opinion. In an SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act case, local revenue authorities have to certify the caste before the police could act upon on the charges.
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