A Hyderabad court on Monday granted bail to 25 students and two faculty members who were arrested last week after protests at the University of Hyderabad. The 27 had to pay a surety of Rs 50,000 and will have to check in with the police at a station once a week, ANI reported. Hundreds protested the return of the vice chancellor, Podile Appa Rao, who had gone on leave following the suicide of Dalit PhD scholar Rohith Vemula. The Joint Action Committee for Social Justice said the 27 were not produced before a court within 24 hours of their arrested, as mandated by law. The committee has been leading protests after Rohith Vemula’s suicide.
The students' lawyer also added that they will file anticipatory bail for those named as accused in the case. The National Human Rights Commission had sent a notice to the university following protests there last week, and reports of police violence on campus. Rights group Amnesty International had asked for an independent investigation into the police’s force against students and protestors at the university. The Congress on Monday said some party members will meet President Pranab Mukherjee on Tuesday to discuss the issue.
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