TIRUPATI/VIJAYAWADA: The Special Investigation Team (SIT) formed to investigate the death of Dr. B Shilpa, a PG medical student in SV Medical College, Tirupati, commenced its inquiry on Friday.
After serving notices to five people -- three faculty members and two students - SIT questioned them at the college. It will continue its inquiry in coming days.
Dr. Shilpa committed suicide by hanging self at her house in Piler of Chittoor district on August 7. She hit the headlines when she wrote a letter to Governor ESL Narasimhan complaining of sexual harassment by three faculty members of SV Medical College.
Following the public outcry, the State government directed the CID to take over the case and CID Chief Amit Garg constituted a SIT headed by Nellore CID SP Ammi Reddy. Meanwhile, junior doctors, PG students, and resident doctors boycotted duties on Friday, demanding action against the accused -- Dr. Ravi Kumar, Dr. Kiriti, and Dr. Siva Kumar.
They also served strike notice to SVR Ruia Hospital administration stating that they will continue to keep away from duties until action is initiated against the accused.
To ensure that patients are not affected, doctors from PHCs in the district were deputed to work at SVR Ruia Government Hospital on shift basis till the crisis is solved.
On the other hand, several government doctors went to Medical and Health department authorities demanding to know the reasons for the suspension of SV Medical College principal Dr. V Ramanaiah.
They were informed that Ramanaiah was the first person, Dr. Shilpa has approached with her complaint.
However, he did not take any action and he has not even reported the same to his higher-ups. It resulted in Shilpa writing the letter to the Governor.
However, the government doctors, especially those working at Sri Venkateswara Ramnarain Ruia Government Hospital were not satisfied and got into a huddle to discuss the ways to counter the students’ protest and support Ramanaiah and three accused professors in Shilpa’s suicide case.
A meeting was held at Microbiology Department conference hall in which the doctors had protested the suspension of three professors and removal of Ramanaiah as principal.
Though the members proposed to form an organisation and stage a counter protest on the college premises, with some doctors not in favour, they decided to meet Principal Secretary (Health) Poonam Malakondaiah on Monday, before deciding the future course of action.