TIRUPATI: Sri Venkateswara Medical College (SVMC) was rocked by another suicide on Sunday. Close on the heels of suicide of PG medical student B Shilpa, an MBBS second-year student hanged herself at her residence at Sivajyothi Nagar here.
Though Shilpa ended her life months after she complained to Governor ESL Narasihman about alleged sexual harassment by her faculty members, P Geethika, 19, the second-year MBBS student, committed suicide because of personal reasons. According to police, Geethika may have hanged herself between 2 pm and 5.30 pm. Geethika, after her lunch around 1.30 pm, went into her room around 2 pm for studying.
It was only around 5.30 pm when Geethika did not come out of the room for a long period, her mother Haritha Devi went inside to find the medico hanging from the ceiling. With the help of neighbours, Geethika was shifted to Ruia hospital, where doctors declared her dead.
Chittoor district collector B S Pradyumna rushed to Ruia hospital soon after coming to know about the suicide and inquired into the reasons that led to her extreme step. Later, speaking to media, Pradyumna said that Geethika’s death was due to ‘purely personal reasons’.
Though Geethika’s mother did not speak to media, it was learnt that the medico fell in love with a friend, Sudhir Reddy, and married him a year ago against the wishes of her parents. Some days back, her parents forcibly brought back Geethika from her husband’s place in Kadapa. Sudhir Reddy is working in a bank in Kadapa.
SVIMS medico attempts to commit suicide
A first-year student of Sri Padmavathi Mahiala Medical College (SPMC) attempted suicide by consuming bathroom cleaner on Sunday morning. K Malathi was admitted to the SVIMS hospital where she was treated for stomach ache. Later, she was shifted to the Respiratory Intensive Care Unit and kept under observation. Her condition was said to be stable around 10 pm on Sunday, but she was still in need of treatment and observation, said the duty doctor. Malathi had appeared for her annual examinations of all subjects conducted before Sunday, and was prepared to write the last one scheduled for Monday. The reason behind her action is unknown.
Geethika earlier used to stay in a hostel but, after her marriage, she was reportedly forced to stay with her family at Sivajyothi Nagar in Tirupati.
Tirupati chapter treasurer of AP Government Doctors Association, Srinivasa Rao, who reached the hospital, said Geethika did not have any academic issues and appealed to students to face life bravely and not resort to any extreme step. It may be recalled that on August 7, Shilpa, the PG medical student of SV Medical College, ended her life at her residence in Pileru. Shilpa had earlier complained of sexual harassment by her faculty members to the college management and as no action was initiated, she shot off a letter to the Governor after which an inquiry was ordered.
The medical and health department initiated an inquiry by a three-member committee led by Director of Medical Education K Babji, Kurnool Medical College Superintendent T Chandrasekhar and Anantapur Medical College Obstetrics & Gynaecology professor Shamshad Begum. Simultaneously, a CID probe was also ordered and a Special Investigation Team was constituted to probe the reasons.
Dr Ravi Kumar, MD, Pediatrics of SVMC, who was named by Shilpa as one of the harassers was shunted out soon.