High Court refuses to implead Prez in Rohith Vemula case

The High Court at Hyderabad refused to implead President of India as one of the respondents in a PIL moved by former Congress MP V Hanumantha Rao.

The Division Bench comprising Justice V Ramasubramanian and Justice J Umadevi refused to entertain the impleadment petition on Monday saying that the President of India enjoys immunity from any sort of legal proceedings due to his office.

The counsel for the petitioner C Damodar Reddy justified the impleadment petition on the grounds that the President of India was sought to be impleaded in his capacity as Visitor of the University and as someone who was involved in the appointment and removal of the Vice-Chancellor as per Section 8 of Central Universities Act. The Bench refused to accept this logic and asked the counsel to refer to the University of Hyderabad Act.

The PIL sought transfer of Podile Appa Rao, the current Vice-Chancellor of University of Hyderabad, as he was accused of abetting suicide of Dalit Scholar Rohit Vemula.

The counsel told the Bench that the University was mired in lot of unrest after the suicide of Rohit Vemula and due to harassment; the V-C was forced to go on leave.

He later rejoined his duties and with him facing criminal cases, including under Prevention of Atrocities Act in this case, he needed to be transferred from University of Hyderabad in the interest of justice.

Another counsel moved an impleadment petition on behalf of Ambedkar Students Association (ASA) saying they too must be heard. The Division Bench accepted this impleadment and posted the matter to next week for further hearing.