Cong, Left tried to gain political mileage by linking Rohith Vemula's suicide to BJP: Ex-MLC Rao
Hyderabad (PTI): Former BJP MLC N Ramchander Rao, an accused in the 2016 Rohith Vemula suicide case, has alleged that Congress and Left parties had tried to gain political mileage by linking the death of the University of Hyderabad student to the BJP.
Vemula's suicide was painful but the attitude of the Congress and Left parties was deplorable, Ramchander Rao said on Friday.
Rao's remarks came after Telangana Police filed a closure report in the case before a local court and gave a clean chit to the accused, including Rao.
Police claimed Vemula was not a Dalit and died by suicide in 2016 as he feared that his "real caste" would be discovered.
ALSO READ: Rohith Vemula not a Dalit, says police in closure report
Meanwhile, a group of students protested at the University of Hyderabad and raised slogans against the BJP, Union Minister Smriti Irani and former university vice-chancellor Appa Rao Podile, who was also among the accused persons.
In a social media post, the Students' Federation of India (SFI) said the closure report filed by police "on Rohith Vemula's institutional murder is an exercise in irony".
"The Congress government and its police are supporting the false narrative of the BJP by tagging Rohith not to be a Dalit despite lack of proof of the same," it said.
Vemula's family said on Friday that it will legally contest the closure report.
His brother Raja Vemula claimed the district collector has to decide on the family's SC status.
Following this, police said they have decided to conduct further investigation into the case.
A petition will be filed in the court concerned requesting the magistrate to permit further investigation into the case, Telangana Director General of Police (DGP) Ravi Gupta said in a statement.
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Ordinance issued to increase number of Supreme Court judges from 34 to 38
New Delhi (PTI): The government has promulgated an ordinance to increase the strength of the Supreme Court from the present 34 judges to 38, including the Chief Justice of India.
The law ministry notified the ordinance on Saturday, which amended the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Act, 1956, to increase the sanctioned strength of the top court.
So far, the sanctioned strength of the top court was 34, including the Chief Justice of India (CJI). Now, the number of judges has been increased by four, taking the sanctioned strength to 38.
The top court will now have 37 judges, other than the CJI.
With the apex court having two vacancies at present, and the ordinance coming into force immediately, the Supreme Court Collegium will now have to recommend six names for appointment as judges in the top court.
A bill will be brought in the Monsoon Session of Parliament to convert the ordinance – an executive order – into a law passed by Parliament.
The Union Cabinet had cleared a draft bill on May 5 to increase the number of apex court judges.
The strength of the Supreme Court was last increased from 30 to 33 (excluding the CJI) in 2019.
The Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Act, as originally enacted in 1956, put the maximum number of judges (excluding the CJI) at 10.
This number was increased to 13 by the Supreme Court (Number of Judges), Amendment Act, 1960, and to 17 by another amendment to the law.
The Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Act, 1986, augmented the strength of judges from 17 to 25, excluding the CJI.
A fresh amendment in 2009 further increased the strength from 25 to 30.
Article 124(3) of the Constitution lists the qualifications required to become a Supreme Court judge.
An Indian citizen who has either served as a high court judge for at least five years, or as an advocate for 10 years, or is a distinguished jurist, can be appointed to the top court.
The strength of the Supreme Court is increased based on the recommendations of the CJI, who writes to the Union law minister. After consulting the finance ministry, the Department of Justice under the law ministry moves the Cabinet with a draft bill.
