WARANGAL: A post-graduate (PG) first-year student of the Kakatiya Medical College (KMC), Dharavathi Preethi, on Wednesday attempted suicide due to alleged harassment by her senior by injecting herself with a heavy dose of suspected anesthesia medicine in the MGM Hospital, where she is doing her internship.

According to her father Dharavathi Narender, an SI in the Railway Police Force (RPF), Warangal, he received a call from his daughter, complaining that her senior, identified as Dr. Saif, was harassing her to work extra hours and not permitting her even to go to the washroom during duty hours in the MGM Hospital. Following this, Narender spoke to the Mattewada police over the phone and asked them to look into the matter. Narender lives in the Uppal area of Hyderabad with his wife and son.

The Mattewada police reacted immediately and asked KMC principal Dr. Divvela Mohan Das to take appropriate action against Saif. Both students are pursuing their PG in Anaesthesia under the supervision of their head of the department Dr. K Nagarjuna Reddy.

However, Saif allegedly continued to harass Preethi in the MGM Hospital. On Wednesday, she reportedly sought permission to leave early, but Saif didn’t allow her. He allegedly refused to allow her to even to go to the washroom.

Preethi later went into the staff room and injected herself with a heavy dose of suspected anesthesia medicine. She was found lying unconscious by senior doctors who immediately started treatment. When she failed to respond to the treatment, Preethi was shifted to the NIMS in Hyderabad.

Narender said a senior named Dr. Mohammed Saif had been physically and mentally harassing Dr. Preethi since she joined the KMC on November 18 last.

“I gave a written complaint twice asking college principal Dr Mohan Das and HoD Dr Niranjan Reddy to take action against Dr Saif but they did not," Narender told Deccan Chronicle. “If anything happens to my daughter I would hold them responsible, as well as Dr Saif.”

Narender said he received a call from a person who refused to disclose his name, who said that Dr. Preeti was lying unconscious. The parents rushed to Waangal from their house in Uppal and shifted her to MGM Hospital. She was later shifted to NIMS.

One of Dr. Preethi’s cousins said that Dr. Saif was forcing her to marry him. Narender accused Dr. Saif and three others of administering poison to Dr. Preethi.

KMC's Dr. Nagarjuna Reddy said that he had issued a notice to both Dr. Preethi and Dr. Saif to give a written explanation. The victim’s room was sealed and CLUES teams searched the premises. Dr. Preeti’s mobile was taken to collect technical evidence.

Speaking to the media, Dr. Mohandas said that they spoke to Saif after receiving a complaint from Preethi’s father. “We have constituted a committee to conduct a detailed inquiry into the incident. The committee will submit a report to the Mattewada police soon,” said Dr. Mohandas.

MGM Hospital Superintendent Dr. V Chandrasekhar told reporters that a team of senior doctors tried to save her. However, she suffered multi-organ failure and was shifted to the NIMS, he said.

Speaking to TNIE, Narender said, “There are many false allegations being circulated on social media targeting my daughter. Preethi called me many times and complained that a senior student was harassing her.”

“I asked her to come back, but she never listened because we do not have money to pay fees in another college. She also mentioned that if there were any adverse remarks from the senior, she might fail in the exams. She even asked me not to complain to anyone about the harassment,” he said.

A distraught Narender blamed Dr. Chandrasekhar and Dr. Mohan Das for his daughter’s suicide attempt. “Had they taken timely action aga-inst Saif, my daughter wouldn’t have attempted suicide,” he said.
Preethi spoke to her brother on Tuesday night.

Warangal Commissioner of Police A V Ranganath said that the Mattewada police registered a case against Saif under SC/ST atrocities Act. “We have gained access to the victim’s phone call records and will question everybody,” said Ranganath.

Dr. Saif and three of his friends were taken into custody by the Warangal police while the KMC Principal and HoD have been served notices.

Director of Medical Education Dr. K. Ramesh Reddy who visited Nims told media persons that an inquiry would be conducted and action taken against those responsible.

He condemned the allegation that senior students were ragging juniors. He said seniors could have been harsh in the manner they briefed the juniors about their responsibilities, but it was not ragging.

Narender reacted with anger to this statement and recalled that Dr. Preethi had informed him that her seniors are harassing her three months back. He said he had complained to the police about Dr. Saif.

He said the college management was spreading rumors that Dr. Preethi was suffering from some ailments, but this was untrue.

Police officials also registered a case under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act against Dr. Saif. The junior doctors association extended their support to Dr. Saif.

Various student organizations tried to hold a dharna in front of the Kakatiya Medical College but police took the leaders into custody.

References:

newindianexpress.com
deccanchronicle.com