Dalit student's death: Protest escalates

Protests escalated on Tuesday over the alleged suicide by a dalit research scholar with activists of a local outfit demonstrating outside the residence of Union Minister Bandaru Dattatreya, who has been accused in the case, demanding his immediate resignation.

The activists of TJYF (Telengana Jagruti Youth Front), a cultural outfit headed by TRS MP Kalvakuntla Kavitha, raised slogans outside the house of Dattatreya at Ram Nagar here and blamed him for the death of PhD scholar Rohit Vemula, who was found hanging in his hostel room on Sunday, triggering angry reactions.

Holding placards, the protestors demanded that the minister should resign immediately.

"Thirty seven of the protesters were taken into preventive custody when they held a dharna near the Union Minister's house," Deputy Commissioner of Police (Central Zone) V B Kamalasan Reddy said.

They were later let off.

-With PTI inputs