Telangana Police filed a closure report in the Rohith Vemula death case, absolving several prominent figures, including then Secunderabad MP Bandaru Dattatreya, Member of Legislative Council N Ramachander Rao, Vice-Chancellor Appa Rao, ABVP leaders, and Minister for Women and Child Development Smriti Irani. The report attributed Rohith's suicide to multiple stressors, including academic underperformance due to his involvement in campus politics and concerns over a fake Scheduled Caste (SC) certificate arranged by his mother. According to the report, Rohith's academic pursuits were hindered by his engagement in student political activities, leading to anxiety and academic setbacks.
"In addition to this, the deceased himself was aware that he did not belong to the 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.
Rohith was reportedly apprehensive about the repercussions of his mother arranging an SC certificate for him, fearing the loss of academic degrees and potential legal consequences if exposed. Despite efforts, the report found no evidence linking the accused to Rohith's suicide.
Rohith Vemula died by suicide at Hyderabad Central University in 2016. His death triggered widespread protests, drawing attention to issues of caste-based discrimination in academic spaces. The case has been contentious, with various interpretations and allegations surrounding the circumstances leading to Rohith's tragic demise.
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