Rohith Vemula: 7 Years On, No Progress In Case | Hyderabad News

HYDERABAD: It’s been seven years since the death of research scholar Rohith Vemula, but the case filed by four research scholars, who were suspended along with Rohith, against the then vice-chancellor of the University of Hyderabad (UoH) P Appa Rao and others has not seen any progress. Not even a chargesheet has been filed in the case for want of Rohith’s caste certificate.
Students who filed the case and members of the Joint Action Committee (JAC) for social justice said they will continue their fight so that no student has to struggle like them.

“There is progress when it comes to all cases filed against us, but the same is not true for the one filed by us against Appa Rao, BJP leaders Bandaru Dattatreya, Smriti Irani, and others,” Vijay Pedapudi, among five students expelled from UoH hostels in 2016, said.
Vijay, who contested in AP assembly election, said that in the initial four years after Rohith’s death, they had to go to court at least once or twice every month. “We will continue our protest till Rohith gets justice, till we get justice,” he added.
While four cases — three by the UoH and one by the mother of ABVP leader Susheel Kumar — were filed against suspended students and/or members of Ambedkar Students’ Association (ASA) or JAC, a case was filed by suspended students or JAC against Appa Rao and others under SC/ST Atrocities (Prevention) Act for abetting Rohith’s suicide.
Of these cases, one filed by Kumar’s mother is in the high court. As per Cyberabad police database and the lawyer of suspended students Jai Bheema Rao, two of these cases are pending trial and two are under investigation. “The main reason for SC/ST atrocities case not moving forward is because of want of Rohith’s caste certificate,” said Bheema Rao. “In the remaining cases, chargesheets are filed and they are at the stage of summoning.”