College student attempts suicide over alleged harassment by senior in Warangal

The victim was identified as Dharavathi Preethi. She was allegedly harassed by a senior PG student from the same college. 
Representational Image. (File Photo)
Representational Image. (File Photo)

WARANGAL: A Post Graduate (PG) first-year student from the Kakatiya Medical College (KMC) attempted in the MGM Hospital, Warangal on Wednesday. The victim was identified as Dharavathi Preethi. She was allegedly harassed by a senior PG student from the same college. 

According to Preethi's father Dharavathi Narender, four days ago a senior student, Dr Saif harassed the victim in the name of discharging duties in the MGM Hospital.

Narender lodged a formal complaint with the Mattewada Police over the phone after his daughter told him about what happened. 

The police reacted immediately and called the Kakatiya Medical College (KMC) principal Mohan Das regarding the harassment issue; the police cautioned them to take appropriate measures. 

Both students are pursuing their Anaesthesia at KMC under the supervision of Dr K Nagarjuna Reddy, he is the Head of the Department (HOD).

However, the senior student Dr Saif continued harassing Preethi during duty hours in the MGM Hospital.

On Wednesday, Preethi requested permission to leave early, however, Saif didn't even permit her to go attend a nature call in the hospital.

Preethi was found lying unconscious when the senior doctors found her in a room and started treating her immediately. When she failed to respond to the treatment, Preeti was shifted to the NIMS Hospital Hyderabad for treatment.

Speaking to the media, Kakatiya Medical College (KMC) Principal Dr Divvela Mohandas admitted that they tried giving counselling to the Post Graduate (PG) student Dr Saif after receiving a complaint from Preethi's father.

We also have constituted a committee to conduct a detailed enquiry. It will submit a report to the Mattewada police, said Mohandas.

Speaking to the media persons at MGM Hospital. Superintendent Dr V Chandrasekhar stated that a team of senior doctors tried to save her in the hospital. However, she suffered from multi-organ failure, so we immediately shifted her to NIMS Hospital for better treatment, said Chandrasekhar.

Speaking to TNIE, the father of the victim stated "There are many false allegations being circulated on social media targeting my daughter. Preeti called me many times and complained that a senior student has been harassing her."

"I asked her to come back but she never listened because we do not have that kind of money to afford a PG seat in another college. She also mentioned that if there are any complaints from the senior, she might not get a satisfactory certificate and even might lose marks. She appealed to me not to complain to anyone that my daughter was getting harassed," he said. 

Narender also claimed that the hospital Superintendent Dr V Chandrasekhar and KMC Principal Mohan Das's failure was the reason that drove his daughter to suicide, he continued, "Had the higher authorities taken action immediately against the senior Post Graduate (PG) student Saif, my daughter wouldn't have attempted suicide."

Warangal Commissioner of Police A V Ranganath stated that the Mattewada police registered a case against Dr Saif under SC/ST atrocities and we are conducting a probe.

During the preliminary investigation, Dr Saif stated that just I cautioned Preethi not to write other's records, which might damage her career.

"We have got access to the victim's phone records every possible source will be questioned," said Ranganath.

(Suicide helplines -- Maithri, Cochin: +91 239 6272; Sumaitri, New Delhi: 2338 9090, Sneha, Chennai: 91-44-2464 0050, 91-44-2464 0060, Aasra, Mumbai: 9820466726, Fortis MentalHealth: 8376804102)

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