Updated

Hundreds of students are angrily protesting the death of an Indian student who, along with four others, was barred from using some facilities at his university in the southern tech-hub of Hyderabad.

The protesters accused Hyderabad University's vice chancellor along with a government minister of unfairly demanding punishment for the five lower-caste students after they clashed last year with a group of students supporting the governing Hindu nationalist party.

Police are investigating whether the officials had any role in the 26-year-old student's death, which they say was a suicide. He had been a member of a group representing Dalits, the lowest caste in India's Hindu caste hierarchy.

The demonstrations Tuesday in Hyderabad drew nationwide attention with TV channels running urgent updates throughout the morning.