By Express News Service

HYDERABAD: Two years after the death of Dalit Ph.D scholar Rohith Vemula, his mother Radhika Vemula has accepted a compensation of Rs 8 lakh offered by the university.

Accepting the ex gratia, which she regards as the family’s right, Radhika told media on Tuesday, “On the advice of my lawyer, I have decided to accept the cheque of Rs 8 lakh from the University of Hyderabad provided as compensation for the death of my son, Rohith Vemula who died after being harassed by university Vice-Chancellor Apparao Podile, BJP leaders including former union minister Bandaru Dattatreya, MLC N Ramachander Rao and former Human Resource Development Minister Smriti Irani.”

She had earlier refused to accept the money when it was first offered to her after Rohith’s death. “I was under the impression that the university administration was trying to buy my silence at the behest of the Vice-Chancellor,” she pointed out.

Speaking to Express, Radhika said that the money will be spent on the education and upbringing of her two-month-old grandson who has been named as Rohith Vemula.

“The compensation is in no way a compromise with the university management. I will not rest until Apparao and his masters in the BJP are punished for their crimes,” she said.