Hyderabad, Mar 22 (PTI): University of Hyderabad students ransacked the Vice-Chancellor’s official residence on Tuesday after Professor Appa Rao Podile, who went on leave at the height of an agitation over the suicide of research scholar Rohith Vemula, resumed the helm.

Raising slogans against Podile, agitating students barged into the Vice-Chancellor's residence, broke window panes, smashed doors and television among other items, protesting against his resumption of duty.

Professor Podile, who is in the thick of a storm over Vemula's suicide on January 17, had proceeded on leave on January 24 as the agitating students demanded his resignation and held vigorous protests seeking “justice” for Vemula.

A battery of high-profile leaders, including Rahul Gandhi and Arvind Kejriwal had visited the University of Hyderabad at the height of protests.

Based on a complaint by a section of students, Cyberabad police had registered a case against Union Minister Bandaru Dattatreya, Podile and three others in connection with the suicide.

Podile was scheduled to hold a press conference on Tuesday morning but it was cancelled following the violence.

One of the protesting students said, “Our primary demand is that the VC should not come...we lost Rohith Vemula. He (Podile) is one of the culprits. Its almost over two months since the incident but no action has been initiated.”

The protesting students demanded that the Vice-Chancellor be immediately arrested.

A large number of police personnel were deployed near the Vice-Chancellor's residence as tension prevailed on the campus.

D. Prashant, one of the five suspended students, said the Vice Chancellor had no moral right to resume duties and conduct an Executive Committee meeting as a case with regard to Vemula’s suicide was still pending against him.

”At the behest of (Union Minister) Venkaiah Naidu, he (VC) came to UoH. At the behest of central government, he occupied the VC seat despite the fact that the whole University resisted against it,” he said.