Rohith Vemula not a Dalit, says police in closure report

NEW DELHI: The

Cyberabad police

have submitted a

closure report

before a local court regarding the death of

Rohith Vemula

, a student of the

University of Hyderabad

, asserting that he was not a

Dalit

and died by suicide out of fear that his "real identity" would be uncovered.
According to the

police

investigation, Vemula, who tragically took his own life in 2016, did not belong to the

Scheduled Caste

as claimed.

The report informed the court that Vemula was aware of his non-SC status and had obtained an SC certificate through his mother. The fear of exposure and potential loss of academic credentials due to the revelation of his true caste identity may have contributed to his decision to end his life, the report suggested.
"In addition to this, the deceased himself was aware that he did not belong to Scheduled Caste and that his mother got him a SC certificate. This could be one of the constant fears as the exposure of the same would result in a loss of his academic degrees that he earned over the years and be compelled to face prosecution," the report said.
"The deceased had multiple issues worrying him which could have driven him to commit suicide," it said.

"Despite best efforts, no evidence could be found to establish that the actions of the accused have driven the deceased to commit suicide," it said.
Highlighting Vemula's internal struggles, the report cited various issues that weighed on his mind, potentially leading to his suicide. Despite thorough investigations, the police stated that no evidence was found to establish that the accused individuals, including then UoH vice-chancellor Appa Rao Podile and current Haryana Governor Bandaru Dattatreya, had directly contributed to Vemula's suicide.
(With inputs from agencies)