The Human Resource Development Ministry has reportedly rejected an RTI appeal that asked for the Roopanwala commission's report on the death of University of Hyderabad (UoH) research scholar Rohith Vemula to be made public.
According to a PTI report, the HRD ministry stated that the file concerned was “under submission” and a copy of the report could not be provided.
Following an appeal that was filed with the First Appellate Authority of the ministry, the HRD Ministry reportedly said, “As such I do not find any infirmity with the reply of the Central Public Information Officer (given earlier) and your appeal stands disposed of as far as the answering Appellate Authority is concerned.”
“If you are not satisfied with this reply,you may like to prefer second appeal before Central Information Commission,” the Appellate Authority added.
Rohith Vemula had committed suicide by hanging himself from the ceiling of a hostel room in the university on January 17, 2016.
Following a huge political storm, the Roopanwal Commission had been formed by the HRD Ministry to look into the circumstances leading to the death of Vemula.
However, the Commission's findings were controversial as it allegedly sided with the government's stand on various issues.
While it wasn't publicly released, the Indian Express, which first reported it, claimed to have got access to the findings.
Claiming that Radhika Vemula, Rohith Vemula's mother, 'branded herself as a Dalit', the findings also alleged that Rohith was not a Dalit and that he faced no discrimination.
Calling his expulsion from the hostel ‘most reasonable’, it also stated that the expulsion was not the reason for his suicide.
Exonerating BJP MLC Ramachandra Rao and Union Ministers Bandaru Dattatreya and Smriti Irani for 'only discharging their duties', it added that 'personal frustration, and not discrimination drove him to suicide.'