In the wake of the protests by a group of students at the main entrance gate of the University of Hyderabad yesterday to mark the first death anniversary of Rohit Vemula, the varsity today said a case will be filed soon on charge of breaking locks of the gate.
"Two locks put on the main gate were broken with the help of stones and evidences are available for the same. Police case will be lodged soon," UoH stated in a release.
The protesters from outside the varsity, comprising members of different students' organisations had gathered in front of the main gate as part of "Shahadat Din" of Vemula, the dalit research scholar who had committed suicide in a hostel room on the campus on January 17 last year.
On a call given by a section of students under the Joint Action Committee for Social Justice - UOH to gather at the 'Rohit Stupa' on the campus, the protesters had marched towards the main entrance and tried to forcibly enter by removing the barricades placed there even as members of JAC from inside the campus too gathered at the spot.
As protesters from outside tried to "gatecrash" into the campus, with some of them climbing the gate, the police took them into preventive custody and released them later.
According to varsity officials, UoH Security Officer T V Rao had offered to escort Rohit's mother Radhika Vemula to shopping complex (to enable her to visit 'Rohit Stupa') provided she came alone, but a set of women faculty members and students declined this proposal on behalf of Radhika.
She later addressed the JAC members at the main gate.
"Finally she could not accept the security officer's offer," the UoH said. Later, Radhika along with her second son Raja Vemula and others, were also taken away by the police.
With regard to the gathering and programmes, UoH reiterated that no permission was sought by anyone to organise any activity, or by anyone, including the press, to enter the campus, to cover any event.
"A notice was posted on the university website in this regard for everyone's information that any one gaining unauthorised entry into the campus would be treated as a trespasser," the release added.
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