Defending its action, the Executive Council of Hyderabad Central University had taken a 'lenient view' by not imposing 'complete suspension' of the five research scholars, including the Dalit PhD student who committed suicide on Sunday, as recommended by Proctorial Board, so that the students' academics are not affected.

The suicide has triggered protests from students even as Union Labour Minister Bandaru Dattatreya and the vice chancellor were named in a first information report in this regard.

In a statement issued a day after the Dalit PhD scholar Rohit Vemula was found hanging in a hostel room on the campus, the varsity mentioned the sequence of events since August last year.

'The Executive Council determined not to affect the students' academics and taking a lenient view, decided to only suspend the students from their hostels and curb their involvement in public gatherings unlike complete suspension as suggested in the Proctorial Board report,' the statement added.