Hyderabad: The Cyberabad police on Tuesday informed the Hyderabad High Court that as per their preliminary investigation, Rohith Vemula, research scholar of Hyderabad Central University who had committed suicide, belonged to Vaddera community which comes under Backward Classes list.
Gachibowli inspector J. Ramesh Kumar, who is investigating the Rohit Vemula’s suicide case filed an affidavit stating that Rohith’s caste certificate found in the University and his college records certify him as an SC Mala, while the recent reports issued by tahsildars of Gurazala and Guntur mandals of Guntur districts reported his caste and his parents’ caste as Vaddera.
Mr Kumar submitted that in the light of contradictory documents with regard to caste of Rohith Vemula, he has requested the district collector to take necessary action and to inform the correct caste status to proceed further in the case.
Earlier, the police registered a case against UoH Vice-Chancellor P. Appa Rao, Union minister Bandaru Dattatreya, BJP MLC N. Ramachandra Rao and ABVP leader Susheel Kumar and others, charging them of abetting Rohith’s suicide, under the IPC and also under provisions of Prevention of SC and ST Atrocities Act.
The police has been claiming that determination of the caste status of the deceased is essential to proceed against the accused under the SC and ST Atrocities Act.
Mr Kumar, in his affidavit, said that the inquiry conducted by the Guntur Urban tahsildar based on his requisition also reported that Vemula Radhika, mother of Rohith and his two brothers Giridhar Kumar and Sridhar, are Vaddera by caste.
He informed that as per the statement given by Vemula Naga Mani Kumar, father of the deceased, his wife Radhika belongs to Vaddera community.
Making it clear that environmental clearances are mandatory for excavation of minor minerals, including gravel, the National Green Tribunal at Chennai directed the TS government to take necessary action to make functional District Level Environment Impact Assessment Authority to grant environment clearances.
A two-member bench comprising Justice P. Jyothimani (judicial) and P.S. Rao (expert member) was disposing applications challenging a memo issued by the TS government facilitating excavation of minor minerals on mere filing of application for environment clearance.
The bench made it clear that as per the orders of the Supreme Court and also notification of the Centre, environmental clearance is mandatory. The bench directed the State Level Environmental Impact Assessment Authority to transfer all 3,500 applications pending for granting of EC to DEIAA forthwith.
