The one-man judicial commission set up by the HRD ministry has finished its inquiry into the suicide of Rohith Vemula. Constituted on January 28, 11 days after Vemula killed himself in his hostel room, the commission submitted its 41-page report where the report has claimed that Rohith’s mother “branded” herself as Dalit to avail the benefits of reservation and Hyderabad University’s decision of expelling him from the hostel was the “most reasonable” decision the university could have taken.
The report also says that personal frustration, not discrimination, drove the 26-year-old PhD scholar to suicide and implied that Union Ministers Bandaru Dattatreya and Smriti Irani were only discharging their duties and there was no pressure on the Hyderabad Central University authorities.
Former Allahabad High Court judge A K Roopanwal in August drafted this report on the basis of the deposition of over 50 people, a majority of whom were university teachers, officers and staff members. The retired judge met five university students and members of the joint action committee which led the agitation on campus. The report also acquits the university administration and says that his suicide was not abetted by anyone.
When The Indian Express asked him about his conclusions, Roopanwal said he did not wish to comment on the contents of the report.
