Massive protests rock HCU again over Rohith Vemula's suicide; varsity gates shut, students held

Hyderabad: There seems to be no end in sight to row over Rohith Vemula suicide case.

In a major development, Hyderabad Central University (HCU) on Wednesday witnessed massive protests by students seeking resignation of the varsity's vice-chancellor Appa Rao Podile.

Tension prevailed near the Hyderabad Central University (HCU) after scores of students belonging to different organisations held protests demanding arrest of the Vice Chancello. Students tried to forcibly enter the varsity even as police took them into preventive custody.

Controller of Examination Professor V Krishna, expressing solidarity with the protesting students against Rao's removal, resigned from the post and walked out of the Academic Council Meeting going on in the Varsity.

The students gathered in front of the campus as part of a call for 'Chalo HCU' given by Joint Action Committee for Social Justice of HCU to intensify their ongoing agitation demanding removal and arrest of Vice Chancellor Appa Rao Podile 

Some of them climbed the main entrance gate even as police deployed in large numbers, immediately intervened and prevented them from entering the campus and took them into preventive custody.

The protesting students raised slogans against Rao and held banners asking him to leave the campus. They said Rao has been booked on charge of abetting suicide of research scholar Rohit Vemula, and questioned how can he hold the 76th academic council meeting, which was going on in the university today.

Reportedly, 'Chalo HCU' protestors were stopped at the main gate of the university. Also, protesting students were detained outside HCU by the police.

University of Hyderabad V-C Prof Appa Rao Podile, who went on leave at the height of an agitation over the suicide of research scholar Rohith Vemula, had resumed charge March 22 amid protests from a section of students.

Prof Podile, who is in the eye of a storm over Vemula's suicide on January 17, had proceeded on leave on January 24 as the agitating students demanded his resignation and held vigorous protests seeking "justice" for Vemula.